Norway-based ballast water treatment (BWT) specialist Optimarin has seen its best-ever start to a year, with the company signing a series of fleet contracts, frame agreements and system orders to continue the positive trend recorded in Q4 2020.
The latest contract is a fleet agreement for 30 vessels, with an as yet unnamed owner, which follows on from a 40-ship exclusive frame agreement signed in January, and the extension of an existing fleet contract.
A series of other orders, many from new customers, has pushed sales figures past 100 units for 2021 so far, according to Optimarin.
Accelerating activity
Tore Andersen , Optimarin EVP Sales and Marketing, says the segment is now picking up quickly ahead of impending regulatory compliance:
“We’ve seen some hesitation in the market to sign orders since the advent of the global pandemic – due to understandable commercial uncertainty – but we now see ship owners moving swiftly to ensure they get the systems they want, when and where they want them, to ensure global compliance.”
“There is a retrofit wave hitting and that puts obvious pressure on engineering and supply chains, especially with the potential shortage of key components within many industries as a result of current logistics challenges.”
“Owners are aware of the situation and are now positioning to secure the best technology at a time and place that fits in with their fleets’ busy operational schedules. Lost time due to deviating from set routes and not getting the installations they want is lost money, which nobody wants,” Andersen continued.
Optimarin has now installed more than 700 systems, with its modular construction suited for vessels with limited space, such as offshore supply and construction ships.
In January it became the first BWT company with UV + filter technology to receive USCG certification for a choice of two different filters, meaning all of its components are now available from two suppliers to ensure maximum availability and rapid delivery.
The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) has full EX approval from USCG and IMO. In addition, OBS boasts certification from a range of classification organisations.