Two UK Ferries to Have Wärtsilä BWMS - When They Need It

MarineLink.com March 18, 2014

Acquarius Ready plant: Image courtesy of Wärtsilä

Two Ro-Ro ferries owned by UK based Condor Ferries are to be retrofitted with Wärtsilä's new AQUARIUS READY ballast water management system (BWMS) solution. The AQUARIUS READY concept has been developed by Wärtsilä to prepare vessels for the fitting of BWMS, while minimising vessel downtime, thereby enabling more efficient operations.

The actual equipment installation and commissioning will take place at a time convenient to the owners following ratification of the IMO Convention. Preparation work has already been undertaken onboard the ferries. This includes making the required connections to the main ballast line, installing the bypass and isolating valves, preparing the space needed, and carrying out the foundation work. These tasks were carried out when the vessels were dry-docked.

Wärtsilä explain that their AQUARIUS READY solution is a phased installation process that enables the equipment to be installed at a time and location convenient to the customer. The READY concept avoids capacity bottlenecks in the delivery and installation of equipment, while providing the needed flexibility to accommodate the vessel's operational priorities. The process towards compliance with ballast water regulations is, therefore, both timely and efficient.

The demand for Wärtsilä BWM systems is increasing rapidly as owners prepare their ships for regulatory compliance. The Wärtsilä AQUARIUS READY solution enables cost saving and installation flexibility, while having Wärtsilä as a single point of contact between the yards, the class societies, and the flag state authorities is a huge benefit for owners," says Dr Joe Thomas, Director, Wärtsilä Ballast Water Management Systems.