Ballast water strategy by 2006.

(From Lloyds List)

Byline: Hugh O'Mahony

THE prototype ballast water treatment system providing the most promising means of wiping out invasive marine species, is to be industrialised following an agreement between Alfa Laval and a subsidiary of Wallenius Lines.

Separation and heat treatment specialist Alfa Laval said yesterday that it would join Wallenius subsidiary Benrad to develop an effective ballast water treatment system for commercial application by 2006, using the advanced oxidisation technology (AOT) system patented by Benrad.

The system has already been installed as part of trials aboard the Wallenius ship Don Quijote. It can currently handle 500 cu m of ballast water per hour.

Alfa Laval applications manager Lena Sundqvist said that Alfa Laval would develop systems capable of handling up to 3,000 cu m per hour as part of the industrialisation programme.

Ms Sundqvist said the system used ultra violet light to create hydroxilidic radicals, which were oxidising agents that killed micro-organisms by breaking down their cell membranes so that they could not reproduce, ultimately becoming non-viable. Across the full range of micro-organisms that got through filters, a kill rate better than 99% was being achieved. To handle sediments, the treatment was also applied on discharge.