This landmark was passed on the back of a succession of major contracts, fuelled by the firm’s retrofit experience, proven technology and upcoming USCG certification, it said.
Optimarin BWTS orders have been confirmed with short sea owner/manager Atlantis Tankers (10 units) and Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group (nine), plus others.
“We’ve been working with BWT technology since our formation in 1994,” said Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen, “so we feel this surge in business reflects an appreciation of our established expertise, technology, and ability to satisfy all individual customer, and vessel, requirements.
“Now that the ratification of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management convention is finally imminent, we’re seeing more and more shipowners engaging us for fleet wide retrofit assignments. This is because they know they can trust us, our market proven system, and unparalleled retrofit experience,”he claimed.
Together with its engineering partners, Goltens and Zeppelin, Optimarin has now fitted over 70 units on existing vessels, alongside over 200 on newbuildings.
Optimarin has invested millions of dollars in testing and certification, with certificates from DNV GL, Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas, MLIT Japan, and American Bureau of Shipping, alongside full IMO approval.
However, it’s the latest USCG testing that appears to be elevating the business to a new commercial plane.“USCG has the most stringent approval demands, thanks to its FDA/CMFDA test, which judges the life forms transported in ballast water as either living or dead,”Andersen explained.“The power of the 35 kW UV lamps in the OBS ensures it has the power to instantly kill invasive organisms and that’s exactly what USCG wants to see.
“The system has now satisfied all marine water tests and is in its final testing stage, with full USCG approval expected later this year. For shipowners with large global fleets this gives them the flexibility to sail in and out of US waters, discharging ballast, as desired. For those with fleets based exclusively in North America this is a ticket to trade, full stop.
“USCG approval is becoming a benchmark standard for forward-thinking customers planning for guaranteed future regulatory compliance. This is proving to be a key business driver for Optimarin,”he concluded.