Australia’s Antarctic research vessel to feature Canadian BWS

Australia’s future Antarctic Supply and Research Vessel (ASRV) will be fitted with a custom designed ballast water management system (BWMS), the shipbuilder in charge of the project has announced.

Damen Green Solutions has designed a solution that uses the Trojan Marinex BWT 250 to meet the exacting requirements of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS).

The ASRV’s ballast water management system had to provide specific operational capabilities including the ability to operate effectively in very cold waters, to use no chemicals, to generate no by-products and to be as compact as possible given that space is at a premium on this complex vessel.

Following an assessment of all the available options, Damen Green Solutions recommended the Trojan Marinex BWT 250, manufactured by Trojan Technologies of Ontario, Canada.

“At Damen Green Solutions, we partnered with Trojan Marinex to design a ‘plug-and-play’ installation for DSNS,” says Stefhan van Esch Design & Proposal engineer at Damen. “Together we created a bespoke design that mounts the entire BWMS on a 3m by 1m skid that can be easily and quickly fitted into the available footprint in the engine room. Prior to leaving the manufacturing works it will undergo a factory acceptance test, leaving DSNS with the simple matter of connecting up the power and the main pipes once it is aboard the ASRV. The Trojan Marinex BWT 250 will then be ready to disinfect and treat up to 250m³ of seawater an hour.”

Construction of the 160-metre ASRV began in May at Damen Shipyards Galati. The BWMS will be delivered to the yard in August for installation later in 2017. The vessel is expected to be operational in 2020.