Wärtsilä broadens range of ballast water management system offerings

JUNE 6, 2012 — Wärtsilä says that it now offers the widest range of ballast water management system (BWMS) and associated services in the market. This follows an agreement with Canada-based Trojan Technologies to offer the Marinex ballast water management system (BWMS), alongside the Wartsila Hamworthy Aquarius system which was introduced to the market last year.

Wärtsilä acquired the Hamworthy Aquarius UV and electro chlorination (EC) BWMS as part of the acquisition of Hamworthy plc in January 2012. Land based and shipboard trials of the UV system have been completed and the final shipboard tests for the EC system will be concluded during the summer.

Earlier, in 2010, Wärtsilä Corporation and Trojan Technologies signed an exclusive agreement to jointly develop, market and distribute a BWMS for the marine market. During the past two years the companies have worked together on a new ultra-violet (UV) technology-based system and that collaboration has made good progress. Shipboard trials are expected to be completed in September of this year along with Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) land-based testing which will be in line with U.S. validation requirements.

“We recognize that no one solution will be suitable across all ship types, sizes and environmental conditions,” says Dr Joe Thomas, Director, Ballast Water Systems, Wärtsilä Environmental Solutions. “By having both the Aquarius and Marinex systems available, Wärtsilä is uniquely placed to deliver BWMS that meet the specific requirements of individual owners and their vessels.”
 
“Our broad technology choice, coupled with a full spectrum of services from the supply of equipment to bespoke turnkey retrofit solutions, all with through life technical and service support on a global basis, underscores Wärtsilä’s commitment to this crucial sector of the maritime market,” Dr Thomas says.   
 
Ratification of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention, which will require the owners of up to 40,000 vessels worldwide to install a BWMS by 2016, is widely anticipated within the next 12 months. As a consequence, shipowners have to evaluate, as a matter of some urgency, the ballast water treatment technology best suited to both their existing and new ships.