Saga Shipholding has signed a contract with Optimarin to install its ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) on newbuild supramax bulk carriers.
Saga’s order is for three 2,000 cu m BWTS. This follows a previous 26-system order placed by Saga in 2012 for seven newbuildings and 19 retrofits.
The shipping company has since reported that over the last four years the systems have shown 100% successful operation since their first day of installation.
The bulk carriers are due for delivery in 2016 and 2017 and will carry pulp from South America to markets in Europe and the Far East.
The OBS technology is based on filtration and UV irradiation. The system can handle flows up to 3,000m3/h and is certified to operate in all salinities including freshwater, brackish water and seawater. It is Type Approved by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and has been accepted as an Alternative Management System (AMS) by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The system is expected to achieve USCG full approval this year following further testing in spring 2016.
Ship Efficiency Review News
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