Wärtsilä and CSSC sign manufacturing licence agreement for BWMS
The manufacturing license agreement was signed by Dr Joe Thomas, director of the BWMS division at Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, and Zou Xiubin, director of the Jiujiang Precision Measuring Technology Research Institute
The agreement gives CSSC access to technology and the rights to manufacture the Wärtsilä Aquarius electro-chlorination (EC) ballast water management system (BWMS) under licence for applications to CSSC customers. In return, Wärtsilä gains access to CSSC's new manufacturing facility, thereby further supporting supply-and-demand needs for the Wärtsilä BWMS directly to Wärtsilä customers.
Helsinki-based Wärtsilä, a leader in complete life-cycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets, says it retains ownership of the Aquarius EC technology and all associated intellectual property rights, while CSSC will manufacture the system for sale and installation with CSSC newbuild and retrofit projects. CSSC, Wärtsilä notes, is the largest group of shipbuilding companies in the world and has a significant need for robust BWMS technology for its Chinese and international customers. The system will be supplied with Wärtsilä type approval.
"By combining the strengths of our two companies, we can more effectively meet the growing demand for EC BWMS for medium- to large-vessel applications. Our combined global service networks also ensure that the BWMS units are fully supported wherever and whenever needed," said Dr Joe Thomas, director of the BWMS division of Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
The agreement has an initial term of six years. The two companies will support each other in delivering the BWMS technology to a broader customer base, and in providing long-term global service support and sales of spare parts for the companies' combined customer base, according to Wärtsila.
