On 15 December 2015, Wärtsilä Corporation announced a contract to supply 12 Aquarius UV ballast water systems to Japan’s Namura and Onomichi shipyards. The systems will be delivered in Q4 2014 through Q2 2016 and installed in six ships.
The Wärtsilä deal comes at a time when the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) moves closer to full ratification. Currently 43 countries– representing 33% of the global fleet– have signed the BWMC, which requires support from 30 countries and 35% of the global fleet. The convention is scheduled for execution 12 months following ratification.
Further, the US Coast Guard (USCG) has enacted a 1 July 2012 regulation requiring all ships entering US ports to be equipped with ballast water treatment solutions– a replacement of less effective water exchange practices. The USCG, however, has yet to grant final technology approvals beyond a temporary Alternate Management Standard (AMS) that is valid for five years.
Bluefield Takeaways
- Ballast water treatment markets on cusp of take-off
- Wärtsilä ballast water strategy takes hold with 66 systems contracted
- Water solutions providers queue up in anticipation of scaling market
