Ballast Water Treatment Systems lowers the burden on ecosystems

Ship transports account for more than 90 percent of the world's freight and they consume up to fi ve billion tons of ballast water each year to stabilise ships. But, if the pumped-in water comes from one part of the world and is pumped out in another, microorganisms may be released that put ecosystems at risk. Mesab is an Instalco subsidiary specialised in Ballast Water Treatment Systems that address this problem.

The marine sector is undergoing a signifi cant transformation resulting from current and future regulations on emissions. According to new environmental regulations, all ships of 300 gross registered tons or more are required to have Ballast Water Treatment Systems by 2024.

Throughout 2020 and through the first half of 2021, Mesab will be installing such systems on six vessels from P&O Ferries, which travel between England and France. Each ferry is equipped with ballast water tanks that have a total volume of 3,000 cubic metres.

“The common denominator for all of Mesab's operations is that they are benefi cial to the environment. And BWT systems are incredibly important when it comes to the health of our aquatic ecosystems,” says Nicklas Rylin, CEO at Mesab.

The ballast water treatment systems that Mesab has installed for P&O Ferries were manufactured by Alfa Laval and in brief, this is how they work: When a vessel pumps in ballast water, it is fi rst purifi ed using a mechanical filter so that larger aquatic species and organisms are removed. It then passes through a UV chamber where ultra-violet light is used to disinfect the water prior to it entering the ballast tank, so that organisms will not be able to reproduce there. The outgoing ballast water is treated once again before it is discharged into the sea at the deballasting site.

Mesab installs BWT systems on ferries, cargo ships and cruise ships. The company also installs Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems, primarily on cruise ships.