Norway-based Optimarin, a leader in the ballast water treatment (BWT) industry, has won an order from the local shipbuilding group Vard for providing services to 15 of its vessels.

The vessels, Vard 9 21 Design specialist module carriers, will be constructed at two yards in Romania - Vard Braila and Vard Tulcea -  and one in Vietnam, Vard Vung Tau, said a statement from Optimarin.

The win maintains Optimarin’s recent new business success, with confirmed orders for 2016 now approaching 100 units.

Alongside Vard, other contracts of note have included a 46 vessel fleet agreement with Carisbrooke, a 10 unit order for Atlantis Tankers, a further 10 for the Royal Netherlands Navy, nine systems for Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group, three for Saga Shipholding (adding to an additional 26 systems already installed on its fleet) and two for Solvang ASA, amongst others, it added.

Optimarin will deliver its UV-based Optimarin Ballast Systems (OBS) to the yards between fourth quarter (Q4) 2016 and Q4 2017, it said.

The versatile Topaz vessels, measuring 123 m long and 16.5 m wide, will boast the capacity to carry high deck loads of up to 1800 tonnes, it stated.
 
Tore Andersen, the CEO of Optimarin, said: “This is an excellent contract which further strengthens our position at the head of the BWT market.”

“Vard knows our systems well, having installed some 55 units on their new buildings across the world since 2011. They choose us for our expertise and commitment to absolute compliance, as well as the fact that our technology is proven, reliable and simple to install and maintain. The fact that this contract is for a ship owner of the standing of Topaz makes it even sweeter,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service