Ballast Water System-Highland Prince

Ballasting

To take ballast water aboard make sure the valve at sea water chest is open, then open
remote valves to which ever ballast tank you require to take water and start the ballast
pump. During the ballasting process it must be ensured that the ballast water passes
through the ballast water treatment system. This is used to ensure no foreign species can be
transferred to other parts of the world through ships ballast waters being pumped out with
invasive species in the water. The plant uses a UV system to remove all ballast water
species. When ballasting is completed stop the pump, close the valves to the tanks. Almost
all of the valves in the ballast system are operated by air actuators which can be controlled
remotely from the engine control room and bridge. The valve at the sea water inlet is a
normal hand operated butterfly valve, this valve is normally left open for operating
efficiency. As the bridge do the ballasting it saves them having to request the sea inlet valve
being opened and closed every time they do ballast operations.

De-Ballasting

To de-ballast the ship, open the valve at

the tank you require to de-ballast, open
relevant valves to allow the water to pass
through the ballast pump and finally
open the valve to allow the water to be
pumped to sea through the sea water
chest. Before this is done it must be
ensured the ballast water being
discharged has been passed through the
ballast water treatment plant on-board
at some point. The ballast system on-
board Highland Prince also doubles as
the ships drill water system to carry the
drilling water used by many offshore
installations which the ship serves. To
enable this, the system has 3 deck cargo
manifolds for loading and discharging
drilling water. These are located 1 port
and 1 starboard midship A-deck and 1 aft
portside on the main deck.
Ballast Pump

The ballast pump on-board is a centrifugal type pump manufactured by Allweiler.

Centrifugal pumps use a spinning disc with vanes, run off an electric motor. The disc spins
and the vanes cause suction on the central inlet, as the vanes spin this throws the liquid
outward with a force and this then pumps the liquid in the system. The particular pump on
board Highland Prince is one which can pump at up to 250m3 of ballast water an hour.