newsletter-ballast 1
Free clean-up of pollution problem
A system developed and patented by Ulmatec Pyro uses waste heat to pasteurise and treat ballast water – with no running costs.
The aim is to destroy marine organisms being moved around the world in ballast, which threatens the environment. It might also be relevant for treating waste water from wellboats and the like.
This represents a market with great potential because of the forthcoming introduction of very stringent international regulations for ballast water treatment.
The UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) proposed the ballast water management (BWM) convention in 2004. It has been the subject of thorough assessment and discussion for a long time, delaying its adoption.
Before the convention can come into effect, it must be ratified by at least 30 countries who collectively represent 35 per cent of world tonnage.
Such ratification is likely to be achieved this year, and 50-65 000 ships will then need to convert their ballast systems and install a treatment solution for the water. All new vessels will require tocomply from the start.
“The shipping companies are biding their time for the moment, but we’re starting to approach the ‘magic number’ for ratification,” says chief executive Jan Petter Urke at Ulmatec Pyro. “Japan, Georgia and India are the latest nations to sign, bringing the figure to 33.4 per cent.”
He explains how the company’s system functions: “By exploiting surplus energy from exhaust and cooling system on the vessel, ballast water can be heated in a quick and simply way.
“It reaches a temperature which kills all unwanted foreign aquatic species. When we cool the water down again, more can be heated for treatment. Ballast can be treated when it’s taken on board, during the voyage and/or when it’s discharged.”
He says the company has cooperated with Ålesund University College on developing and testing this solution, and has joined forces with some of the world’s leading experts on ballast water treatment to help it through the approval process.
“We’re ready to push the button, but are holding fire a bit until we see that the convention has been ratified and what rules we need to test against.
“We have our own investment funds ready, and we’ve also secured approval from Innovation Norway to continue the work.”