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Welcoming visitors to Ocean Pier

The wastewater system designed to cater for thousands of cruise ship visitors in Copenhagen is no lightweight. When ships from around the world berth at the new cruise ship terminal, which opened in May, and thousands of tourists swarm into the streets of the capital, a fully equipped system featuring Grundfos products is ready to handle their waste water – complete with a pump station, three flushing systems and a chemical rinsing system. The system has an impressive scale, handling up to 250 litres of wastewater per second.

"Large capacity is essential when the cruise ships dock. There are several thousand passengers, who all use their showers and toilets at around the same time, typically in the morning, and many vessels do not have their own wastewater treatment systems. It is therefore important to have reliable equipment to handle the load," explains André Doni, the sales engineer who headed up Grundfos’ part of the large project.

Smart design ensures free flow
When ships dock in the harbour, it is now easy to remove its wastewater. The pumps and the design ensure this. Receiving wells have been placed along the wharfs that vessels can connect to. When the well valves are opened, the wastewater flows towards Copenhagen's Lynetten wastewater treatment plant, assisted by four Grundfos pumps. But this is not the only place Grundfos has played a role.

"Each time a ship has deposited its wastewater, we flush out the pipes using water from the flushing systems, to clear any sediment from the pipes. The water comes from an underground chamber which can store rainwater. So this is what will often be used to flush the pipes," explains André Doni, noting that in dry periods water can be used from the local water supply.

The pipes carrying wastewater to the treatment plant are flushed to ensure they do not become blocked by sediment, etc.

"If flushing with water is not enough, we can send a cleaning pig through the pipe," explains André Doni.

No odour problems
The Grundfos system at the harbour also includes a chemical rinsing system to help prevent unpleasant odour from the wastewater. This is also connected to an underground chamber which collects rainwater. From here a mixture of water and iron chloride is pumped to the wells, to minimise odour from the wastewater and ensure the system is absolutely ready to receive the thousands of tourists who berth in Copenhagen each year. And their wastewater.

Large expansion:
- The new terminal represents an expansion to the harbour of approx. one million square metres.
- There are three new terminals, each 3,000 square metres in size.
- Ocean Pier is over a kilometre long.
- More than 300 cruise ships are expected to berth here each year.