Speed key to BWTS race

That’s according to Norwegian ballast water treatment specialist Optimarin, which said a quick turnaround is needed because shipowners are keeping their fleets running at all costs to rake in record revenue.

At the same time it warned  the capacity crunch caused by high retrofit demand poses the risk of installing sub-standard BWT systems with a higher cost both in upfront price and long-term maintenance, impacting future operations.

“Shipowners focused on efficient operations face a big dilemma: how can they keep their vessels running while future-proofing their fleet with a compliant and reliable BWTS to ensure it can continue trading efficiently beyond 2024?,” said Leiv Kallestad, chief executive, Optimarin.

The IMO’s ballast water management convention is due to be implemented in September 2024, with no extension in sight.

Optimarin estimates that around 30,000 ships – about half of 62,000 eligible commercial vessels – still require BWTS retrofits.

This amounts to as many as 1000 BWTS installations per month, which will put a massive squeeze on yard and engineering capacity.

But Kallestad believes there does not have to be a trade-off between retrofitting and ongoing operations.

The supplier’s delivery model of less than 30 days is supported by available drydock capacity at one of partner Newport Shipping’s global network of 15 affiliate yards.