Finnish marine technology manufacturer Langh Tech Oy Ab has received the IMO MEPC type approval certificate for its LanghBW ballast water management system (BWMS) through a type approval project carried out in cooperation with DNV.
Langh Tech’s main goal is to provide vessels and shipowners with a reliable and highly efficient BWMS, which is easy and affordable to operate and simple to maintain. Also the suitability for small and complex installation spaces has been one driving factor during the product development.
The LanghBW Systems BWMS uses fine filtration and UV-C treatment. The unique feature of LanghBW is said to be its ability to utilise one way treatment in sea waters and therefore conserve significant amounts of time and energy during deballasting operations. This is achieved with an efficient UV-reactor design and sufficient power reserve which allows operation in extremely turbid and challenging waters. The other unique feature is the design of the reactor unit, which allows the user to manually clean all the internal parts of the reactor in few minutes without any tools required.
Product development began in autumn 2020 approval was granted 18 month later.
Langh Tech Product Manager Kim Tervonen said: “We are proud to be one of the few makers in the world who can provide a BWMS with the possibility to treat the water only once, Tervonen continues. The conventional way in UV based systems is to use the BWMS unit both at intake and at discharge, but we have the IMO approval to treat the sea water only at intake, this will save a lot of energy and make deballasting very fast if needed.”
In addition to IMO MEPC type approval, USCG approval for the system is expected to be received during autumn 2022. So far 18 vessels are committed to be fitted with the LanghBW system during 2022 – early 2023, with more vessels to come. At the moment, six vessels with LanghBW are in operation or in installation. The first vessel installed system has been in continuous operation since June 2021.
