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To safeguard ocean ecosystems, bilge water must be de-oiled to legally specified levels prior to discharge. GEA's innovative treatment systems not only comply with these stringent requirements but also offer substantial economic advantages to operators.

Across various processes in the oil and gas industry, including the treatment of water, strict adherence to environmental regulations is crucial. To meet the standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), GEA offers specialized high-performance, self-cleaning centrifugal separators and clarifying decanter centrifuges. The goal is to efficiently reduce the oil content in the bilge water to levels below the legally specified limits, often set at 15 ppm or 5 ppm in some regions.
Continuous and reliable operation, along with cost-effective features such as reduced disposal costs and low energy consumption, makes GEA's solutions suitable for both offshore and onshore applications. The emphasis on compliance, efficiency and cost-effectiveness is a common thread in addressing the challenges posed by oil-contaminated bilgewater in the oil and gas industry.
We use a special oil-in-water measuring device to monitor the aqueous phase and ensure the purity levels of the de-oiled water. If the required levels of residual oil in the water are exceeded, the liquid is recirculated to the bilge water tank and is only released when it meets the exact environmental requirements.
GEA plants for treating bilge water, with a high-performance separator as the main component, offer a range of advantages that systematically focus on the requirements of the oil and gas industry. Our treatment systems are designed accordingly to ensure that the required values are achieved safely and sustainably. During this process, the treatment plant separator continuously separates the oil and water phase, while also automatically removing sludge from the bilge water. Not only the significantly reduced disposal costs resulting from this process, but also the low energy consumption and the space-saving design of our separators sustainably reduce operating cost. The recovered oil can be used by operators for different purposes, thus providing additional cost efficiency.

Bilge water treatment utilizing centrifugal force for cleaner discharge
GEA’s past fiscal year was one of significant growth and further profitability gains. In particular, the technology group substantially increased order intake, with all divisions contributing here. GEA also made progress in all Mission 30 strategic growth areas. In addition, GEA met key interim targets under its climate plan ahead of schedule. Major milestones in fiscal year 2025 were admission to the DAX index, the award of one of the largest contracts in the company’s history, and streamlining of the corporate structure.
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