MyCelx Bilge Water System Qualifies Ship for Lloyd's Register EP Notation

The Background

Capacity of the Product Tanker: P class – 335000 M3
Average Bilge Production Capacity: 1-3 m3/day
Bilge Treatment Capacity: 5 m3/h
Capacity of Bilge tank: 120 m3
Bilge Treatment unit onboard prior to installation of MyCelx unit: MEPC 60(33) Hamworthy Oil Water Separator – 5 m3/h capacity.

Objective of the vessel Supervisory Management:

• Installation of a robust, low supervision and low maintenance, economically viable bilge water treatment unit onboard the product tanker to enable continuous, reliable bilge water overboard discharge less than 15 ppm.

Options considered by shipping management:

• Retrofit existing bilge water separator with a polishing unit certified to MEPC 107(49) standard to enable less than 15 ppm bilge water overboard discharge.

• Install a new MEPC 107(49) bilge oil water separator.

Option 1 was highly favored because of onboard footprint limitations and involved costs.

The Problem

The 60 (33) Bilge Water Separator was unable to treat the bilge water to 15 ppm or less required for overboard discharge. The bilge water produced onboard was an emulsified oil and particulate mixture, which constantly overwhelmed successful operation of the Oil Water Separator. The oily water was coating the pipes of the overboard discharge lines preventing discharge of the bilge water. The bilge water had to be taken in barges for onshore treatment where available. The average costs incurred with handling the bilge water amounted to approximately $ 40,000-50,000 per year not including regular maintenance and cleaning of the bilge tank and the discharge piping.

The Solution

MyCelx 5m3/hr bilge water polishing unit was installed post Hamworthy oil water separator.

Primary reasons for consideration of MYCELX Bilge Polishing Unit by Shipping:

The only Lloyd’s Register certified unit to treat bilge water to less than 5 ppm per MEPC 107(49) standard on Type C emulsion.

• Enabled ship to receive Lloyds Register Environmental EP Notation by exceeding international environmental compliance requirements.
• Small foot print and very compact.
• Low maintenance and supervision requirement.
• Ability to handle oil on either continuous or discontinuous basis without reduction of oil removal effectiveness.
• No fouling or loss of treatment capacity even under high oil loading.
• Presence of Visual Oil Breakthrough Indicator on the unit to enable maintenance personnel to visually verify the effectiveness of the unit regardless of the Oil Content Monitor Reading.
• Self-activating in the presence of oily water.
  
  Operation of the MyCelx unit:
  
  MyCelx Bilge Polishing Unit has been operational for over 2 years in the product tanker consistently enabling overboard bilge water discharge of less than 15 ppm. The unit has proved robust and effective even with periodic high oil loading effluent of the oil water separator. The maintenance and replacement frequency of MYCELX cartridges has been two to three times a year depending on shipboard conditions and operation. The operating costs of the MYCELX unit has been under 2-3$/ 1000 gallons. The current savings are $30,000-40,000 per year on bilge water handling costs not including a significant reduction of cleaning and maintenance requirements on the bilge tank and piping.