BIBBY PROGRESS FLOATING HOTEL
Challenge
To design & construct a self-contained wastewater treatment facility on a barge: on time and on-budget. Bibby Maritime Limited, a venerable and highly regarded English shipping firm, is known for their “Coastels”, floating hotels on barges. Coastels have many applications including: temporary workers’ housing during construction projects, permanent housing for prisons, or shelter after natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
Bibby Maritime has an impactful advertising tagline: “For instant accommodation, just add water,” however, a Coastel at full capacity would have 1,000 workers and move to remote locations for extended periods. With no access to local sewer, wastewater disposal becomes a critical and costly issue.
Chevron Oil Company struggled with this problem when they contracted Bibby to use a Coastel for 750 workers during the construction of a multi-billion dollar natural gas plant in Escravos, Nigeria. The remote location had no local sewer, and both local land-based pump and haul and similar ship-based options were cost prohibitive. The ship was projected to be on site for 5 years or more.
The schedule to get the barge in place was tight as was budget allocation. The problem for Chevron, how to achieve on-board septic system & wastewater treatment appropriate to marine applications on very short notice. SludgeHammer™ had successfully worked with Chevron after Hurricane Katrina, and was the primary contact to resolve this challenge.
Bibby Maritime has a wonderful advertising tagline: “For instant accommodation, just add water,” but load a Coastel to capacity with 1,000 workers and move to a remote location for an extended period with no access to local sewer, and wastewater disposal becomes a critical and costly issue.
Chevron Oil Company struggled with this problem when they contracted Bibby to use a Coastel for 750 workers during the construction of a multi-billion dollar natural gas plant in Escravos, Nigeria. The remote location had no local sewer, and both local land-based pump and haul and ship-based pump and haul options were cost prohibitive. The boat was projected to be on site for at least 5 years.
Schedules to get the barge in place were tight and so was the budget. The problem for Chevron was how to create an on-board septic system appropriate to marine applications on short notice? SludgeHammer had shown Chevron its stripes after Hurricane Katrina, and once again they turned to us.
Solution
SludgeHammer™ Aerobic Bacterial Generator (ABG) technology with modular components building a self-contained septic system on the Bibby Progress. Processed wastewater effluent meeting the standards of MARPOL and Lloyds of London would discharge directly into the ocean allowing the barge to remain for extended periods, negating any need for a land based septic system or pump and haul by truck or ship.
The SludgeHammer™ Technical Team travelled to Rotterdam where Bibby was retro-fitting the Coastel barge. Local plumbing trades were engaged and certified to install the SludgeHammer™ ABG units arriving from the USA. The rather humble looking typical barge is topped by first class hotel accommodations.
In less than one month in Rotterdam, the trades crew had constructed the on-board wastewater treatment facility designed for 750 workers with capability to process over 50,000 gallons of wastewater per day to be discharged back into the ocean.
Following a two-month tow of the completed Bibby Progress to Nigeria, the SludgeHammer™ technical team was engaged to commission the system onsite. Even in this remote spot, the simplicity of the SludgeHammer™ Technology provided the ability to engage the facilities quickly, confirm exceptional treatment and certify the discharge to the high expected standard for daily operations.
We mobilized in no time. The SludgeHammer team headed off to Rotterdam where Bibby began the retrofit work to ready the barge. Local plumbing sources were located and SludgeHammer ABG units started arriving from the US. We were surprised to see this rather humble looking barge was topped by first class hotel accommodations.
The work went smoothly. In less than one month in Rotterdam, our able crew had constructed an on-board wastewater treatment facility designed for 750 workers which could process over 50,000 gallons of water per day which would be discharged back into the ocean.
Then came the fun. After a two-month tow of the Bibby Progress to Nigeria, the SludgeHammer crew flew in to commission the system. We showed up in this exotic locale wearing t-shirts which warned any local kidnappers, “You don’t want us, we just fix toilets.” And, indeed, we were left alone. Even in this remote spot the simplicity of the SludgeHammer technology made getting the facilities up and running a relatively simple project.
Its human value fully sunk in when, as we walked up to the ship, a crew member yelled out, “Hey guys, the turd herders are here!!” Like kids in a candy store, they picked out their staterooms and marveled at the amenities like running water and flushing toilets. It’s nice to have satisfied the need to flush.
