Schulte to retrofit eleven containerships with BWMS

Cap Lines will be the first of eleven Schulte ships to be retrofitted with Wärtsilä Aquarius BWMS

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 — Under one of the largest ballast water management system (BWMS) retrofit contracts issued thus far, eleven containerships owned by Hamburg, Germany, headquartered Bernhard Schulte GmbH & Co. KG will be fitted with Wärtsilä Aquarius BWMS.

“This significant order is a clear indication that the major shipowners are actively securing procurement for quality BWMS in anticipation of ratification of the IMO’s ballast water treaty,” says Dr Joe Thomas, Director, Ballast Water Management Systems, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “Wärtsilä has both experience and deep know-how in this field, and can offer reliability and long term support to ensure that customers have the optimal solution for their specific needs. We are grateful to our agents in Germany, Wilhelm Rump KG, for their valuable assistance in finalising this contract.”

According to Bernhard Schulte, the company decided to proceed in a proactive manner with BWMS retrofits for its fleet following the successful implementation of BWMS on the newbuildings delivered since 2012, as well as two pilot retrofits on older tonnage.

With 38 ships scheduled for BWMS retrofit over the next five years, the company deemed Wärtsilä to be a credible partner with the required capabilities and resources to support the first phase of this sizable project.

The eleven vessels to be retrofitted are managed by affiliate Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement through its offices in Greece, Hong Kong, India and Singapore.

All are container carriers and range in size from 2,600 TEU to 5,600 TEU. Delivery of the Wärtsilä systems will start this year and will be completed in 2017.