Water management solution supplier RWO has unveiled its latest oily water separator (OWS), the OWS-PT, a new ‘pressure type’ OWS which has been specifically developed for large vessels, including VLCC/ULCC and VLOC/ULOC types.
Its compact and flexible design is a direct response to feedback from shipowners, and follows research into new ship designs which exposed the lack of space next to bilge water holding tanks where an OWS is traditionally installed.
RWO MD Stratos Papamichalis said: “Reliable and efficient OWS performance is increasingly important in ensuring effluent standards are met, but operational expenditure (OPEX) on OWS remains a concern for owners – especially where larger ships are involved. In the new ship designs reviewed by RWO’s product development team, space for the OWS is only available on higher decks. Conventional solutions will therefore add installation and material costs because an auxiliary pump will be needed to feed the OWS.”
When using a suction-type OWS, the pump draws the water from the bilge holding tank through the separator’s coalescer stage. However, the suction head of the pump is not enough for the OWS to be installed on higher decks. Hence, a second supply pump would need to be installed when using this type of OWS.
The OWS-PT eliminates the need to install an additional feed pump and offers greater flexibility for installation as it does not need to be located beside the bilge water tank. The new pressure-type separator is therefore suitable for cases where the OWS needs to be installed several metres above the bilge holding tank. For example, the pump could be installed on the tank top where it can push the water up to the OWS-PT at its location on an upper deck. The ship designer can then choose the most suitable location to install the OWS without needing to install additional pumps. Furthermore, the OWS-PT is simple to operate and maintain for ships with fewer technicians and crew onboard as it includes a PLC based control which can be integrated with a ship’s controls and AMS system.
Papamichalis added: “RWO is known worldwide for its high quality and intelligent water management solutions. The OWS-PT is ideally suited for the world’s largest ocean-going vessels, and we are delighted to offer shipowners of larger vessels an efficient, flexible and cost-effective OWS solution which is suitable for both newbuild and retrofit projects.”
