Alfa Laval unveils deckhouse arrangement for ballast water treatment

Working together with Framo pumping systems, Alfa Laval has launched a PureBallast Ex deckhouse arrangement for ships with insufficient space for powerful pumps below deck, including product tankers. The design means that existing ballast pumping arrangements do not have to be changed.

The companies explained in a statement that product tankers use submersible ballast pumps to replace a pump room and provide more space for cargo. However, to keep up ballast flow, filters often need to be back-flushed and there may be insufficient pump pressure available for this purpose.  
The deckhouse therefore incorporates a booster pump into the PureBallast 3 Ex system as well as other modications to increase back-flushing pressure. The arrangement has been validated at a Framo pump testing facility and review by DNV GL. The deckhouse system can now be used on product tankers with Framo ballast pump installations.
The modifications fall within the current US Coast Guard type approval and revised IMO G8 requirements for the existing PureBallast 3 Ex system and therefore no additional certification is required.