Alfa Laval has received a major order to replace 18 ballast water treatment systems (BWMS) onboard vessels belonging to a major European shipowner.
The company believes that this significant order shows the high demand for the replacement of malfunctioning systems and a growing market for its BWMS replacement offering.
Strict regulations and frequent controls are driving shipping companies to ensure their ballast water systems are fully operational to avoid high costs, downtime, and potential business losses. As the majority of the world fleet is now equipped, the BWMS retrofit market is nearing saturation. Many suppliers have reduced their commitment to customers or exited the market entirely, leading to a lack of support and upgrade options as regulations evolve. This is especially challenging when the systems purchased are not functioning properly.
Over the past two years, Alfa Laval claims to have replaced more than 250 systems from 30 different manufacturers, and the orderbook for replacement continues to grow.
Tobias Doescher, Head of Global Sales, Business Development and Marketing, Alfa Laval PureBallast said: “With the consolidation of the BWMS market, we see a growing need for replacing installed BWMS systems. We have been contacted by an increasing number of shipowners and ship management companies worldwide who are experiencing issues that their current supplier cannot resolve. We are happy to step in and support our customers with cost-efficient and sustainable solutions.”
Alfa Laval has experience replacing systems using electrochlorination (EC) and UV technology. The replacement projects are handled professionally by a thorough onboard assessment of the existing system by a qualified expert. This evaluation determines necessary replacements and identifies components that can be reused, resulting in substantial cost savings for clients. The replacement process is customised for each client, providing peace of mind in meeting BWMS compliance.
Alfa Laval PureBallast Head Peter Sahlén said: “The success of this offering validates the way Alfa Laval has chosen to work – partnering for the entire lifecycle of ballast water management equipment rather than being a one-time supplier. While other suppliers are exiting the market, we are investing in our experts, actively following the regulations, and offering new services to facilitate compliance. We have even launched our new PureBallast 3 Ultra, developed based on years of customers´ feedback.”
Image: Alfa Laval PureBallast 3 (source: AlfaLaval)
