Overcoming Vacuum Evaporation Challenges with RO Water Makers | Introducing Peter Taboada's Reverse Osmosis Water Maker at Sea Japan 2026
NY Co., Ltd. will showcase Peter Taboada's RO water makers at Sea Japan 2026. This system addresses freshwater shortages caused by reduced engine heat during slow steaming, offering an efficient, heat-independent solution ideal for chemical tankers.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 00:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 16:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 11:26 (91h 24m after Collected)
RO Membrane Water Makers Gaining Attention in Recent Years
To continue stable and safe ship operations, it is crucial to secure freshwater free of salt on board. Particularly for chemical tankers, a large amount of freshwater is used for tank cleaning. Securing freshwater significantly affects operation plans and cargo handling.
Conventional vacuum evaporation water makers use the exhaust heat of the main engine to evaporate seawater, and condense that steam with cooling water to produce freshwater. While it can produce high-purity water usable as boiler water, it requires a heat source to evaporate seawater and cannot produce water when the ship is anchored and the main engine is stopped.
In recent years, slow steaming has increased in the shipping industry to reduce fuel consumption. Furthermore, to comply with the IMO's (International Maritime Organization) CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator) rating system, moves to suppress main engine output to reduce CO2 emissions are spreading. In this case, the amount of exhaust heat during main engine operation decreases compared to normal operation, affecting the securing of the required amount of water when using the vacuum evaporation method.
For chemical tankers that frequently handle cargo, the situation is becoming more serious. Due to the lack of main engine operation time, the exhaust heat necessary for water generation is insufficient, making it a challenge to secure freshwater for daily use and tank cleaning. Because water generation is difficult, it becomes necessary to replenish freshwater from external sources when entering a port. The price of freshwater varies by port, for example, $80-100 per ton at the Port of Long Beach in the US, and $20 per ton at the Port of Singapore. Depending on the port of call, it is necessary to purchase quite expensive freshwater, becoming a heavy burden for operators.
As an option to improve this situation, RO (Reverse Osmosis) membrane water makers are attracting attention. The RO membrane method produces freshwater by passing seawater through an RO membrane with a high-pressure pump, physically removing salt and impurities from the seawater. Since no heat source is required, water can be generated even on anchored ships as long as power is supplied.
Peter Taboada
The RO membrane water maker by 'Peter Taboada', for which NY acts as an agent, has many installation track records, mainly for European passenger ship operators and navies, and is widely highly evaluated in the industry for its performance and reliability. The significant features of the company's products are the flexibility of equipment configuration and a wide lineup with water production capacities ranging from 1.8 to 200 m³ per day. It is possible to select the model with the optimal water production capacity depending on the application. Depending on the properties of the seawater and freshwater, the equipment configuration, such as pre-treatment and post-treatment, can be customized as an option.
Installation Examples in Japan
The introduction of 'Peter Taboada' RO membrane water makers is also being considered in Japan, and recently, a certain domestic shipping company decided to install it on its own vessel. It is a retrofit for an already operating chemical tanker, and it is intended to be used for tank cleaning, etc. When retrofitting, the installation space for additional equipment is more limited compared to newly built ships, and the compact design and ease of installation, along with cost-effectiveness, were the decisive factors for adoption.
Exhibition Confirmed for Sea Japan 2026
NY Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo) will exhibit 'Ship Aid' at Sea Japan 2026 held at Tokyo Big Sight from April 20 to 22, 2026. At the venue, introduction examples and operational benefits of the 'Peter Taboada' RO membrane water maker will be introduced at their booth. It provides an excellent opportunity for stakeholders of ships that require large amounts of freshwater for tank cleaning to consider introducing an RO membrane type that combines flexibility and economy.
Event Overview
Exhibition Name: Sea Japan 2026
Dates: Wednesday, April 22 - Friday, April 24, 2026, 10:00 - 17:00
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight
Booth Number: 1L-17
To continue stable and safe ship operations, it is crucial to secure freshwater free of salt on board. Particularly for chemical tankers, a large amount of freshwater is used for tank cleaning. Securing freshwater significantly affects operation plans and cargo handling.
Conventional vacuum evaporation water makers use the exhaust heat of the main engine to evaporate seawater, and condense that steam with cooling water to produce freshwater. While it can produce high-purity water usable as boiler water, it requires a heat source to evaporate seawater and cannot produce water when the ship is anchored and the main engine is stopped.
In recent years, slow steaming has increased in the shipping industry to reduce fuel consumption. Furthermore, to comply with the IMO's (International Maritime Organization) CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator) rating system, moves to suppress main engine output to reduce CO2 emissions are spreading. In this case, the amount of exhaust heat during main engine operation decreases compared to normal operation, affecting the securing of the required amount of water when using the vacuum evaporation method.
For chemical tankers that frequently handle cargo, the situation is becoming more serious. Due to the lack of main engine operation time, the exhaust heat necessary for water generation is insufficient, making it a challenge to secure freshwater for daily use and tank cleaning. Because water generation is difficult, it becomes necessary to replenish freshwater from external sources when entering a port. The price of freshwater varies by port, for example, $80-100 per ton at the Port of Long Beach in the US, and $20 per ton at the Port of Singapore. Depending on the port of call, it is necessary to purchase quite expensive freshwater, becoming a heavy burden for operators.
As an option to improve this situation, RO (Reverse Osmosis) membrane water makers are attracting attention. The RO membrane method produces freshwater by passing seawater through an RO membrane with a high-pressure pump, physically removing salt and impurities from the seawater. Since no heat source is required, water can be generated even on anchored ships as long as power is supplied.
Peter Taboada
The RO membrane water maker by 'Peter Taboada', for which NY acts as an agent, has many installation track records, mainly for European passenger ship operators and navies, and is widely highly evaluated in the industry for its performance and reliability. The significant features of the company's products are the flexibility of equipment configuration and a wide lineup with water production capacities ranging from 1.8 to 200 m³ per day. It is possible to select the model with the optimal water production capacity depending on the application. Depending on the properties of the seawater and freshwater, the equipment configuration, such as pre-treatment and post-treatment, can be customized as an option.
Installation Examples in Japan
The introduction of 'Peter Taboada' RO membrane water makers is also being considered in Japan, and recently, a certain domestic shipping company decided to install it on its own vessel. It is a retrofit for an already operating chemical tanker, and it is intended to be used for tank cleaning, etc. When retrofitting, the installation space for additional equipment is more limited compared to newly built ships, and the compact design and ease of installation, along with cost-effectiveness, were the decisive factors for adoption.
Exhibition Confirmed for Sea Japan 2026
NY Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo) will exhibit 'Ship Aid' at Sea Japan 2026 held at Tokyo Big Sight from April 20 to 22, 2026. At the venue, introduction examples and operational benefits of the 'Peter Taboada' RO membrane water maker will be introduced at their booth. It provides an excellent opportunity for stakeholders of ships that require large amounts of freshwater for tank cleaning to consider introducing an RO membrane type that combines flexibility and economy.
Event Overview
Exhibition Name: Sea Japan 2026
Dates: Wednesday, April 22 - Friday, April 24, 2026, 10:00 - 17:00
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight
Booth Number: 1L-17