Under the terms of a new regional agreement, signed today, Zeppelin will become the exclusive provider of planning, engineering and customization services for Optimarin’s Ballast System (OBS). The contract covers Germany, Poland, Russia and all CIS countries, with the exclusion of Ukraine.

“We’ll be delivering everything from individual system components, right through to complete turnkey solutions and comprehensive after sales service,” comments Zeppelin Power Systems CEO Volker Poßögel. “We believe the industry proven Optimarin system is the best solution in the marketplace, and this agreement will ensure our customers get the engineering expertise, supply chain and service they require for complete operational and regulatory peace of mind.”

Demand for BWT solutions is surging ahead of the anticipated ratification of the IMO’s BWM (Ballast Water Management) Convention, which industry observers now believe is imminent. This will see a rush to install market proven systems, with only around 3,000 units ordered so far from the 100,000 strong SOLAS fleet.

 “We have an established industry position and a track record of exceptional operational results from our system,” explains Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen. “The German and Eastern European markets are growing and, by joining with a partner of Zeppelin’s calibre, we have the perfect platform to help customers get the solution they need, while sidestepping the supply and installation bottlenecks that may impact upon others within the industry.”

Andersen adds that the OBS is now installed in 180 vessels worldwide, with more than 120 systems on the orderbook. The environmentally friendly technology, which utilises filtration and high doses of UV irradiation to inactivate marine organisms, is modular in design and easy to retrofit. In addition, it is IMO and USCG approved (AMS), with certification through DNV GL, BV, RMRS and CCS.

Zeppelin will carry out all planning and engineering work at its state-of-the-art facilities in Achim, Germany.

Experts from both Optimarin and Zeppelin will be available during SMM 2014 at the Optimarin AS booth, situated within the Norwegian Pavilion (Hall B7, Stand 225).