Newport Shipping has sold the first ballast water management system (BWMS) from key supplier Optimarin under their strategic alliance as the pair target an expected rush of retrofits for the systems
Time is running out for shipowners ahead of an IMO deadline for compliance: there are around 35,000 vessels that still need to install ballast water treatment systems, according to Clarksons Research, with only 40 months remaining until a September 2024 deadline for all ships to comply with IMO’s D2 standard for ballast water discharges.
A reported tsunami of retrofit orders is anticipated within this timeframe that would effectively require global yards to carry out 875 BWMS installations per month – a 700% increase on the level of recent years.
This could lead to a massive bottleneck due to limited yard capacity, driving up both equipment and installation costs, and tempt hard-pressed shipowners to select less competent yards and suppliers with sub-standard equipment and a lack of after-sales support to get the job done in time.
“Shipowners are running the risk of leaving it too late. There is a real sense of urgency for shipowners to start planning now to install BWMS to avoid a negative impact on price, quality and delivery,” warned Newport Shipping managing director Lianghui Xia.
Anticipating this boom in demand, innovative ship repair and retrofit installation specialist Newport Shipping has joined forces with Norwegian ballast water treatment specialist Optimarin, a leading global supplier of advanced BWMS.
This enables Newport Shipping to offer shipowners a turnkey package for BWMS retrofits – from project management to installation and compliance testing – as part of a drydocking stay for repair or class renewal work, with available capacity at its 15 partner yards worldwide for fast turnaround.
Newport Shipping also offers deferred payment for up to 60% of the total cost of a BWMS retrofit over a period of up to 24 months, subject to a credit assessment. In addition, retrofits and other drydocking services can be booked online via its Newport Maritime Services platform.
The yard-supplier partnership has now secured the first order for an Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) from a well-known German shipowner, with other potential orders in the pipeline.
Optimarin has so far delivered around 800 systems, with another 400 on order, and the flexible modular design of the OBS makes it easy to install and adaptable for a wide range of ship types, with the supplier able to deliver at short notice within 10 days of the order date.
Its advanced system, with a high level of redundancy, is based on proven technology being constantly developed after more than 20 years of reliable operation and is supported by a global after-sales service network.
Operation and maintenance of the OBS has been significantly enhanced by the recent launch of the OptiLink cloud-based digital solution that facilitates remote troubleshooting 24/7 and data analytics for fleetwide ballast water management, which is incorporated in a new service frame agreement.
Optimarin executive vice president of sales & marketing Tore Andersen said shipowners need to consider not just the price of equipment but also lifecycle costs in selecting a BWMS.
“Optimarin’s partnership with Newport gives shipowners both flexibility in securing yard capacity for timely BWMS retrofits and a proven quality system as part of a turnkey package with strong after-sales follow-up for long-term peace of mind,” Mr Andersen said.
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