RWO, part of ERMA FIRST Group, and a trusted manufacturer and supplier of oily water systems (OWS), is committed to ocean protection and supports decarbonisation and regulatory compliance. Amir Dolan, Area Sales Manager in West and Northern Europe at RWO, tells Robban Assafina about the company's decarbonization major consideration for a healthy marine environment during Posidonia 2024.

What are the RWO’s top priorities in the next few years regarding the maritime industry’s green transition?

As a trusted and experienced manufacturer and supplier of oily water systems (OWS) with over 17,000 completed OWS orders to date, we make a significant contribution to the protection of the world’s oceans.

However, RWO is a small unit within the larger ERMA FIRST Group, and ERMA FIRST itself is the specialist when it comes to supporting maritime decarbonisation by facilitating regulatory compliance.

Where we can help is by carefully monitoring green developments in the shipbuilding sector to identify new water treatment requirements and develop solutions in response. This is a priority for RWO amid the industry’s ongoing green transition.

What recent developments in your product range address maritime industry decarbonisation?

Decarbonisation is a major consideration in our research and development efforts. Since an OWS consists of many components, we use, wherever possible, components that are highly energy efficient and have a low carbon footprint in terms of their manufacturing process.

Green considerations also factor into our after-sales service. Our ‘consumable kits’ contain, in one package, all the components needed to keep an OWS in good working order, minimising the carbon footprint associated with the delivery of parts and aligning exchange intervals to cut maintenance frequency and related costs.

Moreover, by ensuring optimal performance of the parts, consumable kits help to reduce energy consumption, guard against pollution, and extend the lifecycle of equipment.

It is also important to point out that consumable kits contain RWO-manufactured parts only. In a recent study comparing RWO’s active carbon filter cartridges with those of two leading non-OEM suppliers, only RWO’s parts were shown to perform in accordance with IMO regulations. Using non-OEM parts therefore carries the risk of heavy fines as well as uncontrolled pollution.

To help customers reap the cost, performance, and environmental benefits of OEM components, we offer a significant discount on our parts when purchased as part of a consumable kit.

In your view, what impact will the challenges of digitalisation and decarbonisation have on the industry?

As digital monitoring and optimisation tools become increasingly sophisticated and prevalent, I believe more and more maritime jobs will be performed remotely. This is not about taking work away from seafarers; it is more a matter of moving administrative and monitoring tasks on shore, allowing crew to focus solely on the critical operational tasks that can only be performed aboard the vessel. This will help to reduce the workload for onboard personnel, minimising fatigue, stress, and the risk of human error – and thereby optimising crew welfare and safety.

What is your message to industry stakeholders to foster a more sustainable future for shipping?

Industry stakeholders should collaborate to develop practical solutions for maritime decarbonisation. Specifically, manufacturers should involve ship owners in the development process from an early stage, offering pilot projects whereby the manufacturer provides the owner with a prototype of a solution targeting compliance with upcoming regulations.

For the manufacturer, a working vessel represents a more accurate testing environment than a shore-based research facility, while feedback from the ship owner can prove invaluable in fine-tuning the system. Meanwhile, the owner benefits from the early adoption of a solution that is potentially highly effective in facilitating regulatory compliance.

Through this collaborative, practice-oriented R&D approach, we as industry stakeholders can make a significant contribution to a more sustainable future for shipping.

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	Issue 91 of Robban Assafina (May/ June 2024)