Trade press release
People and technology working together for the environment: eight GEA separators for research vessel "Polarstern”
20 Apr 2021
With the delivery of eight marine separators to the shipping company F. Laeisz, GEA supports the sustainability philosophy of the shipping company. The marine separators will be installed on Germany's best-known and one of the world's most powerful research vessels, the "Polarstern".
Eight GEA marine separators are installed on the research vessel "Polarstern". (Photo: Alfred Wegener Institute / Mario Hoppmann)
F. Laeisz took over the management of the Polarstern on January 1, 1996. The F. Laeisz shipping company is family-owned, was founded in Hamburg in 1824 and is one of the leading shipping companies in Germany. The "Polarstern" sails on behalf of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and provides important information for science. With the help of "Polarstern", the AWI also supplies, for example, the Antarctic Neumayer Station III, which is manned all year round.
Exploration of the Antarctic and the Arctic demands everything from man and technology alike. For 310 days a year, the "Polarstern" plows through the rough, often hostile seas of the polar regions with its four, approximately 20,000 hp engines, often fighting its way through one and a half meters of thick pack ice. That's around 50,000 nautical miles a year. The "Polarstern" is equipped for temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius and can spend the winter in the ice of the polar seas.
GEA separators save 15 tons of CO₂ per year
On board the double-walled flagship of the Alfred Wegener Institute, a crew of around 44 and up to 55 scientists and technicians work and live. GEA's technology and expertise are also at work on behalf of man and nature. GEA separators have been on board since the ship was commissioned on December 9, 1982. Eight new GEA marine Separators will be installed in June 2021. They will help to save more than 15 tons of CO₂ per year.
"Pushing the Limits"
"Pushing the Limits", GEA's guiding principle in the marine sector, takes on a special meaning in the "Polarstern" project and is put into practice through technology solutions. Constantly rethinking and redefining technical limits is an absolute necessity in view of the extreme conditions during the expeditions with double-digit sub-zero temperatures, violent storms and weeks of ice confinement.
For the GEA experts, equipping the "Polarstern" is sustainability in practice and an affair of the heart. After all, when scientists conduct research in the Antarctic and the Arctic for the benefit of the environment and thus for mankind, the "total package" must also be right. In this context, GEA is making a valuable contribution to the "Polarstern" with its eight state-of-the-art separators.
Increase on-board efficiency and reduce operating costs and emissions with intelligent, automated separation technology
GEA marine Separators have the highest energy efficiency rate currently available on the market. The new separators thus lead the way in safely treating fuels and lubricating oils for their respective applications. Based on the CWE 15375 standard, the new GEA marine Separator offers full transparency and the best certified flow rates (CFR) in the market.
An integrated direct drive is at the heart of the new GEA technology. It no longer requires a belt or coupling, a factor in older series models in terms of wear and maintenance costs. The spindle and motor are available as a modular exchange unit. This simplifies installation and maintenance of the machine immensely. Only after 16,000 operating hours or after two years, the drive unit is replaced by a GEA OEM certified exchange unit with full warranty worldwide.
Maintenance time is reduced by 95 percent
GEA marine Separators have the highest energy efficiency rate currently available on the market. (Photo: GEA)
The 360° accessibility allows easy handling during installation and operation. The integrated drive technology reduces maintenance time on the drive by 95 percent. In any case, the small footprint is a decisive plus.
The advantages of the new GEA marine Separator at a glance:
- Integrated direct drive for maximum energy efficiency
- Extended maintenance interval after 16,000 operating hours instead of previously 8,000 hours
- Easily replaceable drive system
- Quick and easy installation
- Low space requirement and 360° accessibility
- Best certified flow rate in the marine market
- Ready for smart connectivity
- Adaptable to the latest fuel technologies
- Hot separation add-on
Contact
Dr. Michael Golek
Media Relations
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft
Ulmenstrasse 99
40476
Düsseldorf
Germany
+49 211 9136-0
About GEA
GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
GEA is listed on the German MDAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.
