- Home
- Categories
- Life Support Systems
- Waste Management
Accommodation & Habitability
Waste Management
Waste management equipment handles the garbage an offshore unit produces. This Category covers food waste grinders and vacuum food waste systems, compactors, balers, shredders and glass crushers, and marine incinerators for solid waste and oily sludge. It does not cover sewage, which goes to sewage treatment plants.
Why MARPOL shapes the equipment
On a platform more than 12 nautical miles from land, MARPOL Annex V allows only food waste ground to pass a 25 mm screen over the side. Everything else goes ashore by supply boat or into an approved incinerator. A rig therefore needs a grinder for food waste, compactors and balers to cut the volume of what goes ashore, and somewhere to hold food waste when the unit is inside 12 nautical miles.
Configurations
- Food waste grinders. Galley disposers that grind and flush to a discharge line or holding tank.
- Vacuum food waste systems. Collection points in the galley feed a vacuum line to a tank, which separates the waste from the transport air and can hold it until discharge is allowed.
- Compactors. Vertical or horizontal hydraulic rams pressing into bags, drums or bins, plus can crushers.
- Balers. Larger rams that tie cardboard and plastics into bales for return ashore.
- Shredders and glass crushers. Reduce volume before compaction or storage.
- Incinerators. Batch-loaded units for solid waste, and units with a sludge burner for oily sludge from separators.
Key specifications
| Parameter | Why it matters | Typical classes or units |
|---|---|---|
| Grinder throughput and screen size | Must handle peak galley output and meet the 25 mm rule | kg/h (lb/h), screen mm |
| Holding tank volume | Covers time inside 12 nautical miles | m3 (US gal) |
| Compactor press force | Decides compaction ratio and bale density | kN or t |
| Incinerator capacity | Must suit daily waste and sludge volumes | kW thermal, up to 4,000 kW under MEPC.244(66) |
| Hazardous area rating | Decides where the unit may stand | Safe area, Zone 2, Zone 1 |
Standards and what they require
- MARPOL Annex V. Platforms and ships within 500 m of them may discharge only ground food waste beyond 12 nautical miles. Cooking oil, plastics, packaging and incinerator ash go ashore.
- MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 16. Incinerators installed since 1 January 2000 need IMO type approval to MEPC.76(40) or MEPC.244(66). Continuous-feed units must not be fed below 850 °C combustion chamber outlet temperature, and batch-loaded units must reach 600 °C within 5 minutes of start. PVC may burn only in an incinerator type approved for it.
- SOLAS chapter II-2. The incinerator space is a machinery space for fire protection, with the boundaries and detection that brings.
- IEC 60079 series. Electrical equipment on open deck near the drill floor or mud handling needs Ex certification for its zone. An incinerator's open flame belongs outside every classified zone.
Failure modes and inspection
- Incinerators. Cracked or spalled refractory, burner and flame failure device condition, temperature sensors, the door and feed interlocks, and the flue gas fan.
- Grinders. Cutter and screen wear, which can let oversize waste through, motor bearings and the water supply.
- Compactors and balers. Hydraulic cylinder seal leaks, hose age, ram guide wear, chamber deformation and door interlocks, tested by trying to run with the door open.
- Vacuum food waste systems. Valve seals, tank corrosion from acidic food waste, level sensors and the discharge pump.
Documentation
For incinerators, ask for the IMO type approval certificate naming the model, the maker's certificate for the unit's serial number, the operating manual and the refractory and burner service history. For compactors and balers, ask for the manual, hydraulic and electrical drawings, and a CE or equivalent declaration. For any open-deck unit, ask for Ex certificates.
Integration with your unit
Place the grinder or vacuum collection points in the galley scullery and route the discharge to a holding tank or the overboard line. Check that the supply boat's skips or bins fit the compactor and baler output. An incinerator needs a fuel supply, a flue routed clear of air intakes and helideck approach paths, and a position outside every hazardous area. Size everything for the maximum persons on board.
Refurbishment and recertification
Grinders, compactors and balers have simple mechanics and standard wear parts, so used units are a sound buy once the hydraulics and interlocks pass inspection. Refurbishment means new seals, hoses, cutters or screens and a function test. A used incinerator is worth buying only with its type approval certificate and a refractory survey, and relining the chamber is a major job. Common makers include Evac, Delitek and Miltek for compactors and balers, and TeamTec and Detegasa for incinerators.
The galley end of the food waste line is under galley and mess equipment. Black water goes to sewage treatment plants.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can an offshore platform discharge food waste into the sea?
Yes, but only food waste ground to pass a 25 mm screen, and only when the platform is more than 12 nautical miles from land. Ships alongside or within 500 m of the platform follow the same rule. Every other kind of garbage, including cooking oil, must go ashore.
Does a used marine incinerator need IMO type approval?
Yes, for any installation since 1 January 2000. MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 16 requires type approval to MEPC.76(40) or MEPC.244(66). Ask for the certificate and check it names the same model as the unit, and ask the maker for records tied to the serial number.
Can plastics or PVC be burned in an offshore incinerator?
PVC may be burned only in an incinerator type approved for it under MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 16. Other plastics may go into an approved incinerator, but the ash must go ashore. Many operators send all plastics ashore compacted instead.
What should I check on a used offshore garbage compactor?
Check the hydraulic cylinder seals and hoses for leaks, the ram guides and chamber for wear or deformation, and that the door interlocks stop the ram. Then confirm the supply on the nameplate and, for open-deck use, Ex certification for the zone.
What happens to incinerator ash on a rig?
Incinerator ash goes ashore. MARPOL Annex V allows a platform to discharge only ground food waste, so ash is bagged, recorded in the Garbage Record Book and sent ashore with the rest of the unit's garbage.
Looking for waste management?
Tell us what you need and we will find out what is available. We reply within one business day.