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Alfa Laval PureBilge

Towards cleaner oceans

Bilge water generated onboard ships is a major environmental concern for the shipping industry. Regardless of its source, bilge water must be treated to reduce the oil content to levels that meet international regulations for release into the environment. This is critical to keeping the world’s oceans and their vast marine ecosystems healthy and productive.

The impact of ship propulsion on the marine environment can be minimized, heavy fines avoided and the work load of the crew significantly reduced, if efficient bilge water treatment is carried out onboard. The need for waste disposal ashore can also be reduced. Over the years, the cost for waste disposal has increased as local authorities enforce stricter laws for land-based companies that process this waste. This translates into higher operating costs.

Application

Cleaning bilge water poses distinct challenges. Not only does the composition and flow of bilge water change, making continuous and efficient treatment difficult, but treatment onboard presents another set of constraints.

Treatment methods must meet individual ship requirements and demands for safety, reliability, compactness, automation, low maintenance and the ability to withstand rough weather conditions.  These requirements must be met without reducing the performance of the treatment system.

Centrifugal separation has proven to be the most reliable, efficient and flexible method for continuous removal of oil and other contaminants suspended in the bilge water onboard ships and at land-based power plants.

Capacities

PureBilge is available in two standard versions:

  • PureBilge 2515: 2 500 l/h, 15 pp
  • PureBilge 2505: 2 500 l/h, 5 ppm
  • PureBilge 5015: 5 000 l/h, 15 ppm
  • PureBilge 5005: 5 000 l/h, 5 ppm

PureBilge: Reliable, efficient, continuous

The Alfa Laval PureBilge solution is a reliable single-stage centrifugal separation system for the highly efficient treatment of large bilge water volumes at sea as well as ashore. The compact modular system reduces the level of contaminants in bilge water to between 0 and 5 ppm oil in water.

Based on a standardized concept, PureBilge is a complete stand-alone system that is easy to install for any new or existing installation. Continuous, fully automatic operation – even when subjected to oil shock and rough weather conditions – reduces the need for large bilge water holding tanks. This increases payload capacity.

PureBilge significantly reduces operating costs compared to conventional bilge water systems thanks to the reducedvolumes of waste that require disposal.

PureBilge complies with the Marine Environment Protection Committee Resolution, MEPC.107(49), of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and USCG regulation (46 CFR 106.050).

Benefits for shipyards

  • Compact, modular, easy-to-install system saves time, space and money.
  • Continuous, single-stage operation requires less holding tank volume and provides more space for payload.
  • Easy integration with existing communications systems onboard.

Benefits for owners and operators

  • Reduced operating costs thanks to low maintenance, automated control, minimal waste disposal, no chemical consumption and an absence of filter elements that require replacement as standard.
  • Reliable, always-available system. Operates continuously with high performance, regardless of variations in feed, oil shocks and rough weather conditions.
  • Easy to operate. Automated control and monitoring system integrates with existing Alfa Laval systems, providing a single user-friendly interface.
  • Safe operation. A password-locked switch can be set in manual/locked position to ensure that only the individual responsible for environmental compliance may authorize overboard discharge.