Water management solutions provider, RWO, has been contracted by KiwiRail to supply a water treatment system (AWTS) for New Zealand’s Inter-Island Resilient Connection Project (iReX).
Two custom-built Interislander ropaxes have been ordered to operate between Wellington and Picton, New Zealand.
Environmental protection is a key priority for the project and both vessels, which are being built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), will have RWO’s CleanSewage Membrane Reactor (CS-MBR) system fitted.
CS-MBR is a sustainable biological treatment technology that has been designed specifically to minimise a vessel’s impact on the environment, achieve the highest standards for effluent discharge and exceed regulatory requirements.
The system is also fully type approved in accordance with IMO MEPC.227(64), including section 4.2, which addresses nitrogen and phosphorus removal.
Massimo Soprano, Ships Programme Director, iReX, KiwiRail, said: “The iReX project will transform the Interislander connection by upgrading the existing fleet to improve passenger experience and increase capacity and efficiency.
“The new ferries will be faster, safer and greener, in line with our aim to create a service that will last generations and contribute to New Zealand’s zero-carbon future.
“The sustainability credentials of RWO’s CS-MBR system will help ensure environmental impact is kept to a minimum, while the technology itself will provide a treatment system that goes beyond regulatory requirements and offers a range of operational benefits,” he claimed.
Valentin Kirsch, RWO’s Area Manager for CS-MBR, added: “RWO is committed to providing state of the art sustainable solutions and we are delighted that the CS-MBR system has been selected for the iReX project.
“The CS-MBR offers a future proof solution for managing wastewater on board, including nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Its unique two-tank design addresses the needs of each treatment process, while the system’s submerged ultra-filtration membranes in the final stage remove solids down to bacteria, virus and microplastic levels and guarantees compliance with the strictest requirements,” he said.
