UKSBSRE16006 - Oily Water Separator

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), through its centre/survey the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), invites tenders for the supply of an Oily Water Separator for one of its Research Vessels.

BAS Antarctic and Marine Engineering section are in the process of sourcing replacing a piece of mandatory equipment on board the vessel which has exceeded its serviceable life.

The equipment in question is regulated by MARPOL 73/78 (The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships) The purpose of an ‘Oily Water Separator’ (OWS) on board is to separate oil and water mixtures into their separate components.

These oil and water mixes result from leakages from machinery and piping systems which are pumped from the bilges into a bilge water settling/holding tank.

Once processed by the plant the water is either pumped overboard or held in a holding tank until convenient.

The sludge is pumped into a sludge tank for discharge at a shore based facility.

The water discharged overboard is subject to MARPOL Annex 1 of an IMO convention and must not exceed the mandatory limit of 15ppm of an oil mixture.

The OWS on board the vessel is a mandatory piece of equipment and is subject to regulatory inspections by DNV (The Classification Society) the MCA (Maritime & Coastguard Agency) and PSC (Port State Control).

Any failure of inspection results in detention of the vessel and delays to operations until deficiencies have been rectified.

The existing separation system is in excess of 20 years old and is now unmaintainable due to obsolescence and excessive wear of internal components.

Any new system must conform to Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 (The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships) AND Resolution MEPC 107(49) (Marine Environment Protection Committee)