BWMS
medium
Ballast water management systems using UV, electrochlorination, or filtration
Known Models (6)
Alfa Laval PureBallast 3
300-3000 m³/h
· 45.0 kW
· Ballast Water
· UV BWMS
Voltage: 440V 3ph 60Hz
Weight: 2800.0 kg
Dimensions: 2200 x 1400 x 1800 mm (300 m³/h unit)
medium: Ballast Water
power_kw: 45
type: UV BWMS
Common Failures:
- • UV lamp end-of-life
- • Quartz sleeve fouling from turbid water
- • Filter clogging from debris
- • Control system fault
Service: IMO D-2 + USCG approved. UV lamp replacement every 8000 hrs. Clean quartz sleeves. Pre-filter critical for turbid waters.
Spares: Alfa Laval: UV-Lampen an Bord vorhalten (2 Sätze). Filterelemente: 1 Satz. Lead time: 2-4 Wochen.
✔ Pros
- • Chemical-free (UV only)
- • USCG + IMO D-2 approved
- • Low operating cost
- • Compact footprint vs electrochlorination
- • Works in all salinities (fresh/brack/sea)
⚠ Cons
- • UV lamps need replacement every 8000 hrs
- • Quartz sleeves foul in turbid water
- • Pre-filter mandatory for particulates
- • Higher CAPEX than filtration-only systems
Typical Vessels:
TankerContainerBulk CarrierLNG Carrier
Certifications:
IMO D-2USCG Type ApprovalDNVClassNKLR
Decision Guide: Choose if: chemical-free operation preferred, turbidity low-moderate, vessel trades globally including freshwater ports. Avoid if: high turbidity routes (muddy rivers), very cold water routes (UV efficacy drops), CAPEX-sensitive.
Use Cases: Deep-sea tankers, container vessels, LNG carriers. ~2,500 units installed worldwide since 2006.
DESMI Ocean Guard A/S CompactClean BWMS
Per ship freshwater demand
· Ballast Water Treatment
source: dnv-approval-finder
Common Failures:
- • Membran-Fouling bei Umkehrosmose-Anlagen
- • UV-Lampe End-of-Life
- • Chemikaliendosierung Pumpen-Ausfall
- • Chlorinator-Fehlfunktion
Service: Membran-Reinigung quartalsweise. UV-Lampe per Betriebsstunden. Wasserqualität täglich prüfen.
Spares: DESMI Ocean Guard A/S: UV-Lampen an Bord vorhalten (2 Sätze). Filterelemente: 1 Satz. Lead time: 2-4 Wochen.
De Nora (Balpure) Balpure BWMS
500-10000 m³/h
· 120.0 kW
· Ballast Water
· Electrochlorination BWMS
medium: Ballast Water
power_kw: 120
type: Electrochlorination BWMS
Common Failures:
- • Electrolysis cell fouling
- • Power supply rectifier failure
- • pH control drift
- • Filter system blockage
Service: Large-capacity electrochlorination. Acid cleaning of cells required periodically. Annual cell inspection.
Spares: De Nora (Balpure): UV-Lampen an Bord vorhalten (2 Sätze). Filterelemente: 1 Satz. Lead time: 2-4 Wochen.
Oceanguard (Headway) OceanGuard BWMS
200-6000 m³/h
· Ballast Water
· Filtration + UV BWMS
medium: Ballast Water
type: Filtration + UV BWMS
Common Failures:
- • UV lamp failure
- • Filter backwash valve malfunction
- • Turbidity sensor error
- • Control panel fault
Service: IMO approved. Cost-effective option. UV lamp replacement every 8000-12000 hrs. Filter cleaning critical.
Spares: Oceanguard (Headway): UV-Lampen an Bord vorhalten (2 Sätze). Filterelemente: 1 Satz. Lead time: 2-4 Wochen.
Optimarin Ballast System OBS
100-3000 m³/h
· 30.0 kW
· Ballast Water
· UV BWMS
medium: Ballast Water
power_kw: 30
type: UV BWMS
Common Failures:
- • UV lamp degradation
- • Quartz sleeve fouling
- • Flow sensor failure
- • Auto-cleaning system fault
Service: Norwegian UV specialist. Auto-cleaning quartz sleeves. Compact for retrofit. Lamp life 8000-12000 hrs.
Spares: Optimarin: UV-Lampen an Bord vorhalten (2 Sätze). Filterelemente: 1 Satz. Lead time: 2-4 Wochen.
Wärtsilä (Hamworthy) AQUARIUS EC BWMS
200-6000 m³/h
· 80.0 kW
· Ballast Water
· Electrochlorination BWMS
Voltage: 440V 3ph 60Hz
Weight: 4200.0 kg
Dimensions: 3000 x 1800 x 2200 mm (1000 m³/h unit)
medium: Ballast Water
power_kw: 80
type: Electrochlorination BWMS
Common Failures:
- • Electrode cell degradation
- • TRO sensor calibration drift
- • Neutralization agent dosing error
- • Filter mesh rupture
Service: Electrolysis cells generate NaOCl. TRO (Total Residual Oxidant) monitoring mandatory. Neutralize before discharge.
Spares: Wärtsilä (Hamworthy): UV-Lampen an Bord vorhalten (2 Sätze). Filterelemente: 1 Satz. Lead time: 2-4 Wochen.
✔ Pros
- • Electrolysis on-board (no chemical storage)
- • Works in all salinities
- • Lower operating cost than UV at scale
- • Proven technology since 2010
⚠ Cons
- • Requires seawater salinity for electrolysis
- • Electrode cells degrade (5-7 yr lifespan)
- • Neutralization required before discharge
- • TRO monitoring mandatory
Typical Vessels:
VLCCContainerBulk CarrierChemical Tanker
Certifications:
IMO D-2USCG Type ApprovalDNVABS
Decision Guide: Choose if: large flow rates (>2000 m³/h), seawater-only operations, CAPEX-sensitive for large volumes. Avoid if: fresh/brackish-only routes, zero-chemical policy required.
Use Cases: VLCCs, large container vessels, bulk carriers operating on saltwater routes.