Eleven container vessels owned by Bernhard Schulte GmbH & Co. KG, based in Germany, are to be retrofitted with Wärtsilä Aquarius Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS). This is one of the largest single retrofit contracts thus far issued for BWMS solutions. The contract was signed in July.
"This significant order is a clear indication that the major ship owners are actively securing procurement for quality BWMS in anticipation of ratification of the IMO's ballast water treaty. Wärtsilä has both experience and deep know-how in this field, and can offer reliability and long term support to ensure that customers have the optimal solution for their specific needs. We are grateful to our agents in Germany, Wilhelm Rump KG, for their valuable assistance in finalising this contract," says Dr Joe Thomas, Director, Ballast Water Management Systems, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
According to Bernhard Schulte GmbH & Co, following the successful implementation of BWMS on the new buildings delivered since 2012, as well as two pilot retrofits on older tonnage, the company decided to proceed in a proactive manner for the fleet in operation. With 38 of the ships scheduled for BWMS retrofit over the next 5 years, the company deemed Wärtsilä to be a credible partner with the required capabilities and resources to support throughout the first portion of this sizeable project.
The eleven vessels to be retrofitted are managed by the affiliate Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement through its offices in Greece, Hong Kong, India and Singapore. All are container carriers and range in size from 2600 TEU to 5600 TEU. Delivery of the Wärtsilä systems will commence this year and will be completed in 2017. Wärtsilä and Bernhard Schulte have increased their cooperation in the recent years both in the retrofit and in the newbuilding project sectors.