Maersk Tankers, the tanker operating arm of the Danish shipping conglomerate Maersk, has ordered Wärtsilä’s Electro Chlorination (EC) Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) for three new 50,000 dwt medium range (MR) tankers being built at the Samsung Heavy Industries (Ningbo) yard in China.
The order was signed in the second quarter of 2016, according to Wärtsilä.
Under the contract, Wärtsilä will supply each of the three vessels with one 1,500 m³ per hour EC BWMS solution.
The equipment is scheduled to be delivered to the yard commencing in December of this year.
As the IMO Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention is a step away from being ratified , shipowners want to ensure compliance with its requirements.
“Ratification of the IMO’s ballast water treaty is very close and the major ship owners are making preparations for compliance,” Dr Joe Thomas, Director, Ballast Water Management Systems, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, said.
Under this convention, all ships in international traffic are required to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain standard.
The three vessels are part of a USD 300 million contract Maersk Tankers signed with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Ningbo shipyard in September 2015. Within the contract, SHI will build nine 49,940 dwt MR product tankers that will join Maersk Tankers’ fleet during 2017 and 2018.