/ --Non-compliant discharge of oily water continues to be an environmental threat - and an expensive headache for the marine industry. With the tamper-proof Alfa Laval BlueBox SA, a stand-alone oil content monitor and data recorder, Alfa Laval is providing peace of mind to ship owners and operators.
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Why discharge rules get broken
According to MEPC regulations, clean water tanks must be equipped with a stand-alone OCM to verify the water's purity before discharge. "In theory, this should be enough," says Shinya Tanehashi, Alfa Laval Global Sales Manager, for oily water treatment systems. "But the risk of foul play is increased by the fact that many oily water treatment systems - especially static coalescers - experience difficulties in rough sea conditions."
"Filters are expensive and quickly become saturated in rough seas, where they merely compensate for the separator's lack of performance," says Tanehashi. "When the vessel's costs become high or large volumes of oily water accumulate because they can't be processed continuously, it becomes tempting to dump oily water overboard."
Making the right way the only way
"For overboard discharge to take place, a whole range of conditions must be verified, such as the direction of the sample flow through the OCM," says Tanehashi. "All key operational data, including GPS position, alarms and any unlocking of the BlueBox SA cover, is logged and stored for 18 months."
Putting it clearly to crews and authorities
"All of the data stored in the BlueBox SA can be exported in PDF format and downloaded to a USB memory stick," Tanehashi explains. "That makes it a simple matter for the crew to show the vessel's compliance to coast guard or Port State Control authorities."
A cost-saving solution for clean drains as well
"By monitoring the clean drain to ensure that its oil content is below set limits, vessels can avoid unnecessary use of their oily water separator," says Tanehashi. "In this way, the BlueBox SA creates an energy savings and reduces wear and tear on the separator itself. Ultimately, that translates into lower OPEX."
Laying oily water worry to rest
"One can't put a price on peace of mind," says Tanehashi. "But looking at the huge fines that ship owners are paying for non-compliance, one can certainly see the value in avoiding them. Our aim with the BlueBox SA is to help ship owners and operators rest easy, no matter what oily water setup they currently have on board."
To learn more about the Alfa Laval BlueBox SA and Alfa Laval's approach to oily water treatment, visit https://www.alfalaval.com/AL-BlueBox-SA-editorial
About Alfa Laval
For further information, please contact: Amit Khare GM-Marine Sales and Service Manager amit.khare@alfalaval.com
Rajita Kumar Head Communication Alfa Laval India Private Limited rajita.kumar@alfalaval.com
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