Using Onboard-Produced Drinking Water to Achieve Ballast-Free Management

Abstract

Based on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (the Ballast Water Management Convention, or BWM Convention) of the International Maritime Organization, from 8 September 2017, all ships must have an approved Ballast Water Management Treatment System (BWTS) to prevent the invasion of alien species through the discharge of ballast. Generally speaking, the need for an approved BWTS is limited to large vessels, as they are too large or too expensive for small vessels to install. This study aims to propose a simple ballast-free approach for small vessels (e.g., tugs, workboats, research vessels) that require ballast to compensate for the weight loss of fuel when sailing. Our approach involves refitting the dedicated ballast tank of these small vessels to be drinking water tanks and filling the tanks with onboard-generated distilled or reverse osmosis water to adjust the stability of the ships. We assessed our approach using three vessels. Two ships using our proposed method were certified by the American Bureau of Shipping as containing no ballast water tank, and not being subject to the BWM Convention. This study provides an environmentally harmless, easy to use, and economical approach for small vessels to comply with the BWM Convention.

Selection of Desalination System for Commercial Vessels by Implementing Improved Intuitionistic Fuzzy TOPSIS Method

“…ere are other similar issues in the literature but the question of whether the ballast water treatment system can be used instead of the conventional freshwater generator system or not has not been questioned. Lu et al [57] have investigated whether the reverse osmosis method can be used in nonballast vessels. ey stated that using the reverse osmosis method on "vessels without ballast tanks" would save more on spending and provide a robust water supply.…”

A Fuzzy Ballast Water Risk Assessment Model in Maritime Transport

“…The main research topics in this field include the development of effective technologies to treat ballast water and prevent the spread of aquatic non-native species [10,11], the efficiency of ballast systems [12], and compliance with regulations [13,14]. The advancements, complexities, and considerations in the field of ballast water treatment, focusing on the need for effective treatment systems to mitigate ecological, economic, environmental, and human health risks associated with the transfer of ballast water [15], inspire diverse technological solutions as either port-based [16,17] or onboard treatment systems [7,18].…”

Waste to Energy Onboard Cruise Ships: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Cruising

“…Jang et al [6] highlight how the ballast water treatment performance depends on the concentration of suspended solids found in port water. Lu et al [7] suggest the implementation of onboard produced drinking water tanks, in order to compensate for the weight changes due to fuel consumption and to avoid seawater use. In the past few years, there has been increasing interest in the treatment of the oily wastewater.…”