Wartsila says BWTS training is crucial
Craig Patrick, Wartsila Water Systems Ltd, Sales Director refers to company’s actions towards providing proper training for its BTWS. It is important the market to fully understand and value the importance of crew training for successful integration and safe operations, Mr. Patrick notes. Hence, Wartsila offers extensive training for the successful implementation of its BWTS. Another important issue for consideration is the safety aspects of BWMS systems; therefore, Wärtsilä advises owners to carefully analyze their safety aspects and ensure they meet current class and flag regulation. Mr. Patrick concludes that it is important the owner to select the correct technology for each vessel type, considering that this would result in great economic benefits for the operators.
GREEN4SEA: Regarding the training needed on board for the BWTS, what do shipowners need to think about the crew and their understanding of these systems and their installation? What is your advice and experience so far?
Craig Patrick: Wärtsilä as a major supplier of complex solution to the marine market fully understands and values the importance of crew training for successful integration and safe operations. Training capabilities are critical for the successful implementation of any new marine system. Via Wärtsilä’s network of Land & Sea Academies operators crews can be trained in a Wärtsilä location, customer location or onboard with training packages tailored to meet the operator’s requirements. These blended training paths encompassing online, classroom, hands on and virtual training solutions from remote locations. These solutions can range from operation awareness to maintainer expert level. Wärtsilä commenced its Land & Sea Academy training over 40 years ago and has now grown to provide over 800 training course per year covering over 22,000 course man days per year. For the Ballast market, Wärtsilä have trained over 80 service and commissioning technicians at time of publication, and this will rise to over 100 by the end of the year
G4S: Do you foresee any emerging problems concerning the safety of the BWTS installed onboard? What is your advice to both operators and crew?
C.P.: Given recent BWMS related safety issues of other EC suppliers, Wärtsilä’s safety mindset has been increasingly valued more by our customers. Wärtsilä is committed to create and maintain safe and healthy workplaces for our employees and partners in all our business operations. The Aquarius® BWMS systems are designed and developed to ensure fail safe operations. Independent assessments of our electro-chlorination systems have proven this fail safe philosophy to ensure operator and crew safety is maintained at all times. Wärtsilä would advise owners to carefully analyze the safety aspects of any EC BWMS system and ensure this meets current class and flag regulation.
G4S: What experience have you gained so far with your BWTS installations? How important are the system redundancy and design for the BWTS installation and retrofit?
C.P.: To date Wärtsilä has successfully provided retrofit solutions for both of its technologies Aquarius® UV & EC as well as executed different installation delivery and partnership models. This experience has allowed us to provide excellent risk mitigation advice to the various stakeholders in a successful retrofit project. E.g. Owner, operator, manager, crew, yard, consultant engineering, classification society, installation contractor and flag. This allows owners that work with Wärtsilä access to this knowledge and experience. Vessel control alarm and monitoring system (CAMS) can still represent and area of risk during a BWMS retrofit however with Wärtsilä acquisition of MSI this has allowed greater access to the skills needed to de-risk integration. Inherent redundancy is key to a successful low risk installation. Wärtsilä BWMS leverages the experience and resource of many years of marine systems to provide, as standard, a redundant system to ensure lowest cost of ownership over the life of the vessel.
G4S: What is your key message to industry with respect to BWMC implementation?
C.P.: Choosing the correct equipment for the right project, it is important that the owner selects the correct technology for the vessel type. There are great economic benefits for the correct selection of treatment technology and operation of. Wärtsilä have invested in the development of both Aquarius® UV & EC have fully funded transparent USCG testing programs for both products. This technology selection has been validated as over 96% of all BWMS treatment systems sold to date have used either UV or EC technology. This selection of technologies, allows Wärtsilä to be well placed to meet virtually all individual operator’s needs in BWMs technology.
