Commercial ship operators are not the only ones reviewing the shipboard handling of waste water – so are the world’s navies.
Hamworthy secured its first naval contract for MBR (membrane bioreactor) waste water treatment technology in 2002, when the UK’s Ministry of Defence ordered MBR systems for the Royal Navy’s first six Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyers. In July the first of class, HMS Daring, left BAE Systems’ shipyard in Scotstoun to begin sea trials off the west coast of Scotland. HMS Daring is scheduled to enter service in 2009.
Hamworthy’s MBR technology is an innovative and technically advanced system for handling both black and grey shipboard waste water. This meets, and exceeds, all current and proposed legislation. Passenger ship installations have proved that the MBR system exceeds IMO requirements for faecal coliforms, BOD and suspended solids by a factor of more than 10. “The system is one of the most technically advanced and user-friendly on the market, while incorporating all the principles of the Royal Navy’s Smart Procurement procedure,” said Allan Bentley, Managing Director of Hamworthy Water Systems Ltd.
Hamworthy is supplying two MBR50N systems to each destroyer, each incorporating six membrane modules. The configuration can handle about 2 to 2.5m3 of black water and 50 to 55m3 of grey water per day, with 100 per cent standby capacity.
“Hamworthy was chosen to supply the Type 45 project not only on the basis of its MBR waste water treatment system’s performance, but also on the through-life maintenance available for the equipment,” Mr Bentley said. “The MBRs are being fitted in anticipation of tougher environmental legislation during the destroyers’ operational life.”
