Alfa Laval's PureBallast receives Green Ship Technology Award

PureBallast, Alfa Laval's unique and chemical-free system for ballast water treatment developed in cooperation with Wallenius Water, was honoured with the first-ever Green Ship Technology Award at the Green Ship forum in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Instituted by Lloyd's List events, the prize recognizes innovative technology that benefits the marine environment. Alfa Laval's PureBallast is rapidly positioning itself as the leading ballast water treatment solution. Released two years ahead of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) regulations to prevent the transport of potentially invasive species, the system has nearly completed the Ballast Water Type Approval process and is already being installed aboard new and existing vessels. Further acknowledgment of PureBallast's viability came at the most recent Green Ship Technology Conference, which took place 11-12 March at the Hilton Rotterdam in the Netherlands. On the forum's opening day, PureBallast was presented with the inaugural Green Ship Technology Award, a prize instituted by Lloyd's List events to recognize efforts in maintaining the marine environment and mitigating the environmental effects of the shipping industry. Recognition of leading technology Selection for the Green Ship Technology Award was made by a jury of ship owners, which also included the technical editor of Lloyd's List. Nominations were accepted from both ship owners and system manufacturers, and were limited to environmental technologies that have been put to use since March 2007. Niclas Dahl, Alfa Laval's Sales Manager in charge of PureBallast, was on hand in Rotterdam to accept the award. “The choice of PureBallast for the first-ever Green Ship Technology Award is welcome recognition of Alfa Laval's long work with ballast water treatment,” Dahl says. “The award shows that PureBallast is not just a response to IMO regulations, but rather an optimized technology with a real and positive impact on the marine environment.” Likewise, the award affirms that PureBallast stands out among other ballast water treatment technologies. “As the only ballast water treatment system to be nominated for the Green Ship Technology Award,” says Dahl, “PureBallast continues to set the standard in marketplace.” Other technologies recognized in the competition were a range of biodegradable oils and a gas engine technology for reducing emissions in coastal and short-sea operations. These technologies received second- and third-place awards respectively. PureBallast, with the use of patented Wallenius AOTTM , is the only system having received Final approval from IMO. Final approval confirms excellent performance with regards to the impact on the environment, ship and crew. A prize backed by presence The announcement of the Green Ship Technology Award coincides with other positive developments for PureBallast, including multiple sales of the system to Wallenius. Two PureBallast systems are currently being installed aboard Wallenius newbuilds, and seven PureBallast retrofits are scheduled for completion during 2008. “In total, Alfa Laval has sold eighteen systems to five different ship operators,” says Dahl. “So it's clear that the shipping industry, like the jury for Green Ship Technology Award, sees PureBallast as an effective and viable long-term solution.” For more on the PureBallast system, see Appendix 1: PureBallast overview. For more on the invasive species problem and the pending IMO legislation, see Appendix 2: Ballast water and invasive species. About Alfa Laval Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling. The company's equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol. Alfa Laval's products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications. Alfa Laval's worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to help them stay ahead in the global arena. Alfa Laval is listed on the Stockholm Exchange and, in 2005, posted annual sales of about SEK 16.5 billion (approx. 1.8 billion euros). The company has some 10,000 employees. For further information contact: Noreen Comerford / Alfa Laval Marketing Communications e-mail: noreen.comerford@alfalaval.com / www.alfalaval.com