Alfa Laval sees growing demand for BWMS replacements

Peter Sahlén, head of Alfa Laval PureBallast: “While other suppliers are exiting the market, we are investing in our experts, actively following the regulations, and offering new services to facilitate compliance."

While the majority of ships in the world fleet are now fitted with ballast water management systems, the BWMS picture may not be as rosy as that suggests — with BWMS replacements growing as owners encounter problems with installed systems.

In the latest evidence of this trend, Alfa Laval has recently received an order to replace 18 ballast water treatment systems (BWMS) onboard vessels belonging to a major European shipowner. It says that this significant order shows a high demand for the replacement of malfunctioning systems and a growing market for Alfa Laval’s BWMS replacement offering.

Strict regulations and frequent controls are driving shipping companies to ensure their ballast water treatment systems are fully operational to avoid high costs, downtime, and potential business losses. With the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention in force since 2017, the majority of the world fleet is now equipped and the BWMS retrofit market is nearing saturation. Many suppliers have reduced their commitment to customers or exited the market entirely, leading to a lack of support and upgrade options as regulations evolve. This is especially challenging when the systems purchased are not functioning properly.

High demand for BWMS replacements

Over the past two years, Alfa Laval has replaced more than 250 systems from 30 different manufacturers, and the orderbook for replacement continues to grow.

“With the consolidation of the BWMS market, we see a growing need for replacing installed BWMS systems”, says Tobias Doescher, head of global sales, business development and marketing, Alfa Laval PureBallast. “We have been contacted by an increasing number of shipowners and ship management companies worldwide who are experiencing issues that their current supplier cannot resolve. We are happy to step in and support our customers with cost-efficient and sustainable solutions.”

Alfa Laval has experience replacing systems using electrochlorination (EC) and UV technology. The replacement projects are handled professionally by a thorough onboard assessment of the existing system by a qualified expert. This comprehensive evaluation determines necessary replacements and identifies components that can be reused, resulting in substantial cost savings for clients. The replacement process is customized for each customer, providing them peace of mind in meeting BWMS compliance.

“The success of this offering validates the way Alfa Laval has chosen to work – partnering for the entire lifecycle of ballast water management equipment rather than being a one-time supplier,” says Peter Sahlén, head of Alfa Laval PureBallast. “While other suppliers are exiting the market, we are investing in our experts, actively following the regulations, and offering new services to facilitate compliance. We have even launched our new PureBallast 3 Ultra, developed based on years of customers´ feedback.”