Freight ferry operator Seatruck has made a little bit of history in the ballast water treatment (BWT) segment by installing five systems itself while its vessels were undertaking normal operations. The roll-on roll-off (RoRo) cargo specialist, which services three routes linking Ireland and the North of England, chose the market leading Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) for its ships, citing their ease of installation, proven reliability, cost efficiency, and complete regulatory compliance as deciding factors, Optimarin said in its press release.
Seatruck runs a fleet of 10 advanced ferries, ranging in capacity from 65-150 trailers, with over 60 weekly departures. This regular sailing schedule, between set ports, ensured the firm could call on local contractors to ‘hop on and off’ and carry out whatever engineering work the crew themselves couldn’t manage. It was, as Seatruck Fleet Director Ben Coppack points out, a very efficient way to undertake the installation.
Seatruck began installation onboard the 5,300 dwt Seatruck Progress in November last year. The remaining four systems were installed between January and the end of September this year.
Optimarin has now received orders for over 520 systems, with more than 330 installed worldwide, of which 150 are retrofits. The firm, which has focused exclusively on BWT since its formation in 1994, was the first to receive full USCG approval for its system, gaining certification in December last year.
The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) is fully approved by both IMO and USCG, with certification through DNV GL, Lloyd’s, Bureau Veritas, MLIT Japan, and American Bureau of Shipping. Optimarin customers include names of the order of The Royal Netherlands Navy, Saga Shipholding, Technip, GulfMark, MOL, Solstad Farstad, and Hapag Lloyd, amongst others.