Alfa Laval PureBallast Deckhouse Solutions Gets DNV Nod
DNV issued a Type Approval Design Certificate for Alfa Laval PureBallast 3 Ex deckhouse solutions, the first design approval for the installation of ballast water treatment systems on the weather deck, a potentially attractive installation solution for many ship owners and shipyards alike.
According to the manufactuers, placing ballast water treatment systems in a deck-mounted enclosure is necessary on many modern tankers due to lack of a pump room or other suitable internal space. While the system type approval applies to the ballast water treatment system itself, both the enclosure and the installation within it must also be approved by a classification society. The DNV Type Approval Design Certificate means PureBallast 3 Ex deckhouse deliveries will have this approval in advance.
“Alfa Laval quickly recognized the importance of having a standardized and purpose-built solution for installing PureBallast 3 Ex on deck,” said Peter Sahlén, Head of Alfa Laval PureBallast. “Likewise, DNV recognized that this would require a unique approach to the approval – given that the solution falls outside traditional class definitions. Working together, we’ve achieved a design approval that encompasses the reinforcements, insulation, ventilation and other elements that protect ballast water treatment system performance and lifetime.”
In practice, the design approval for PureBallast 3 Ex deckhouse solutions will greatly reduce the time and effort needed from system integrators – and the implications for shipowners. For the final onboard approval, only the mounting of the enclosure on deck and its interconnections with the vessel will need to be evaluated by the classification society.
Alfa Laval’s approved design includes the deckhouse enclosure itself, as well as the system’s internal installation on fixed rails and all of the internal piping and electrical connections. Its specifications go far beyond those of standard containers, which lack the protective features and longevity needed to ensure performance over the vessel lifetime. “Our deckhouse design ensures conditions that keep PureBallast 3 Ex within its design limits, from the interior climate to factors like wind and wave loads,” said Sahlén. “It may be a containerized solution, but it’s by no means a standard container.”