Membrane bioreactor

Cunard Cruise Line’s cruise ship the Queen Mary 2 is undergoing works to equip the vessel with a Wärtsilä advanced wastewater treatment system, in order to meet the IMO’s pollution requirements.

Wärtsilä Hamworthy Membrane BioReactor (MBR) solutions will carry out the management and treatment of both ‘grey’ and ‘black’ wastewater and also monitor its discharge into the sea.

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Wärtsilä ship power environmental solutions vice-president Juha Kytölä said: "Environmental performance is of ever-increasing importance throughout the marine industry, but especially so for cruise ships and ferries.

"Wärtsilä’s in-house know-how and broad experience in wastewater treatment and management systems for ships were crucial factors in the award of this important contract."

"Environmental performance is of ever-increasing importance throughout the marine industry, but especially so for cruise ships and ferries."

This wastewater treatment process is based on biological degradation and membrane separation and offers highest quality discharge without requiring any addition or generation of chemicals hazardous to the maritime or shipboard environments, Wärtsilä stated.

Delivered in 2004, the 345.03m-long and 4m-wide Queen Mary 2 is powered by four Wärtsilä main engines and is capable of accommodating 2,620 passengers and 1,200 crew members.

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With a gross registered tonnage of 151,400t, the vessel is capable of cruising at a maximum speed of 30k and average speed 24k.

The vessels’ on-board system will be replaced with Wärtsilä Hamworthy MBR 16 systems, enhancing the environmental standards of the ship.

Recently, Wärtsilä received an order to deliver its propulsion system for a compressed natural gas (CNG) carrier being built at the Jiangsu Hantong shipyard in China.

Image: An illustration of the Wärtsilä Hamworthy Membrane BioReactor Systems. Photo: courtesy of Wärtsilä.

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