Broad understanding of ballast treatment

Auramarine has dedicated significant amounts of time and funds to develop a BWT System that can cope with the requirements of  various ships and harbours. In the Crystal Ballast project, Auramarine had four main goals: the company was determined to provide the best practical solution for shipowners and yards around the world. The project also strived for comprehensive understanding of ballast water conditions and flows onboard ships, and aimed at a system that could be adjusted and fitted for various vessel types and ballasting operations. Finally, the product had to be competitive as regards its size, weight, energy consumption and cost-effectiveness, both at the time of installation and in operation.

UV-C – ballast water treatment of the future

Auramarine's solution is based on utilising UV-C radiation. The UV-C solution presents indisputable advantages, and the technology concerned is already familiar from such as treating drinking water and wastewater. The advantages of using UV radiation as a disinfection process are clear. This purely physical disinfection process has been tried, tested and proven in many land and marine applications. No harmful by-products are formed in the process, nor does it require the production or storage of chemicals on board. The system presents no danger of overdose or underdose, as only naturally occurring processes are used. The process does not result in any changes in the physical parameters of the water, such as its pH value, temperature, salinity, taste, odour, or colour, and a system based on UV-C technology has a relatively low overall energy consumption.

Destructive invasive species continue to spread with ship ballast waters

Every year, states and the fishing industry incur costs amounting to millions because of alien species that are carried from one water system to another in the ballast water of ships. In February 2004, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted a convention that aims at controlling the spread of harmful alien species carried in ballast waters.

The only way of restricting the further spreading of invasive species through ballast water is to ensure that all states ratify and implement the BWM Convention, and all vessel operators fit appropriate technology on all ships.


For further information, please contact:

Auramarine Ltd, Heikki Saaros, Managing Director, tel: +358 204 86 6032, e-mail: heikki.saaros@auramarine.com

See also our brochure:
Auramarine Crystal Ballast, Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS)