Wärtsilä wins major offshore contract for its systems including Ballast Water Management System
A new semi-submersible accommodation and construction vessel (floatel) being built for Floatel International AB, the Swedish offshore floatel owner and operator, will feature two Wärtsilä AQUARIUS UV ballast water management systems (BWMS) and other Wärtsilä equipment. The order was signed in February 2014, the company said in its press release.
The vessel, the ‘Floatel Triumph’, is currently under construction at Keppel FELS. It is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2015. The complete Wärtsilä scope of supply includes, in addition to the two AQUARIUS BWMS units, a series of Wärtsilä engine room pumps, and a pre-engineered integrated auxiliary equipment module.
“We have enjoyed a long and successful co-operation with Floatel International. All four of the rigs previously ordered by the company have been fitted with Wärtsilä’s equipment, although this is the first to specify a ballast water management system. This success emphasises our ability to meet the specific requirements of the vessels’ operational profiles,” says Dr Joe Thomas, Director, Ballast Water Management Systems, Wärtsilä Ship Power.
“The vision of Floatel International is to own and operate the most modern fleet of accommodation and construction support vessels in the world. The fleet is designed to meet the increased demands set by new challenging projects in deep water and harsh conditions. Wärtsilä’s experience and know-how helps support our vision,” says Nils Mårtensson, Chief Operating Officer of Floatel International.
The ‘Floatel Triumph’ is designed for operation in demanding environment, and is being built in accordance with ABS class standards. The vessel will have a total accommodation capacity of 500 persons.
The AQUARIUS UV BWMS is a modular system utilising a two stage approach involving filtration and medium pressure UV disinfection technology. The Wärtsilä AQUARIUS UV Ballast Water Management System meets the International Maritime Organization’s IMO D2 discharge standard, and received type approval in December 2012.
Ratification of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention, which will require the owners of up to 40,000 vessels worldwide to install a BWMS, is widely anticipated within the next 12 months. The US Coast Guard (USCG) has however implemented its own legislation, which states that all ships will have to be in compliance with the regulations when sailing in US coastal waters. Enforcement of the US requirement commenced in December 2013, when ships must comply with the 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) regulating discharges from ships. As a consequence, ship owners have to evaluate, as a matter of some urgency, the ballast water treatment technology best suited to both their existing and new ships. The intention of the legislation is to address the issue of invasive aquatic species being carried in the ballast water of ships and then discharged to the sea where they can harm local species. At any one time ballast water can naturally contain an estimated 7000 different species of organisms comprising of plankton, bacteria and viruses. It is estimated that approximately 7 billion tons of ballast water is transferred globally each year.
Wärtsilä offers the Wärtsilä AQUARIUS® EC and Wärtsilä AQUARIUS® UV Ballast Water Management Systems, both of which became part of the portfolio following the acquisition of Hamworthy plc in January 2012.
Wärtsilä has supplied the following equipment for the Floatel fleet:
Floatel Superior: 6x FS3500 Steerable thrusters
Floatel Reliance: 4x12-cylinder Wärtsilä 26 engines in V-configuration
Floatel Victory: 6x12-cylinder Wärtsilä 26 engines in V-configuration
Floatel Endurance: 6x16-cylinder Wärtsilä 26 engines in V-configuration
Floatel Triumph: 6x12-cylinder Wärtsilä 26 engines in V-configuration + BWMS