Optimarin in spares and servicing agreement with Goltens

Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen

JUNE 14, 2017 — Sandnes, Norway, headquartered ballast water management system (BWMS) specialist Optimarin has signed an agreement with Goltens Green Technologies. Negotiated at this month’s Nor-Shipping event, it effectively gives Optimarin a global network of spare parts warehousing and service engineers. It will enable Optimarin to use facilities in Asia, North America and the Middle East to provide its worldwide customer base with local lead times for the commissioning and maintenance of its Optimarin Ballast System (OBS).

“We know Goltens very well,” says Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen. “We’ve worked with them for about six years, partnering with their skilled engineers to install OBS on more than 100 vessels. That’s more successful retrofits than any other suppliers within this highly specialist market. They know our technology and we trust their expertise, so we make an excellent team.

“Despite this, we’ve never had a formalized agreement, so I’m delighted to take our relationship one step further. This provides us with a truly global footprint, while it gives our customers local parts, engineers and the shortest possible lead times for their commissioning and maintenance needs,” he explains, adding:

“With the ratification of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention, and USCG’s stringent requirements, shipowners must comply to sail. We, along with Goltens, are now ready and waiting worldwide to ensure that’s exactly what happens.”

Optimarin has gotten a wave of new order enquiries since its UV-based ballast water treatment system  (BWT) became the first to gain USCG Type Approval in December last year. The firm, which was also the first ever company to install a commercial BWT system in 2000, has now sold in excess of 500 systems, with over 300 installed worldwide. Its most recent orders were with Sweden’s Wisby Tankers, for three systems, and Hoëgh Autoliners, for a further two systems.

“The market is picking up, because, quite simply, it has to,” Mr. Andersen states. “Compliance with the most stringent regulatory standards, namely USCG, is a must for any shipowner looking for optimal flexibility for their fleets. There’s no avoiding these important regulations and shipowners are now waking up to the fact that they need reliable, compliant, proven and easy to install systems… and they need them now.

“Our technology is second to none and, with this new agreement, so is our global commissioning and spare parts network. We are perfectly placed to give shipowners the global support they need, and the complete peace of mind they desire.”

Otimarin first worked with Goltens on the retrofitting of its technology on vessels for Saga Shipholding in 2011/12. They have since successfully partnered on projects for clients including the Royal Netherlands Navy, Technip, GulfMark and MOL, among others.

“We have had a long and successful relationship with Optimarin working together to retrofit vessels all around the world,” says Goltens Group COO Roy Strand. “We are very pleased that Optimarin has chosen us to support them and their customers in the global after sales market.  With this agreement, Optimarin customers can have confidence in getting professional system support anywhere Goltens operates.”