News: Martek Marine lands V.Ships order

Innovative Rotherham company, Martek Marine, has secured an order from SeaCom Electronics, the UK subsidiary of global ship management services giant V.Ships.

The Manvers company is the world leader in safety and environmental monitoring equipment for commercial ships and this initial order is for Navguard, Martek's bridge navigation watch and alarm system (BNWAS).

SeaCom supply communication, navigation and entertainment equipment and systems and the initial contract is expected to be followed by orders for further packages to be installed on V.Ships' vessels during the next three years. V.Ships is the world's largest supplier of ship management services to a fleet of over 1,000 vessels.

A BNWAS is designed to monitor bridge activity and detect any operator disability that could lead to shipping accidents. The system monitors the awareness of the Officer of the Watch (OOW) and automatically alerts other staff if for any reason, the OOW becomes incapable of performing duties through an accident, sickness or even a security breach such as piracy or hijacking.

Navgard is the world's first BNWAS system fully type approved by all major classification societies, and this was a particularly important factor in Seacom’s decision to opt for Martek's technology.

Paul Luen, chief executive officer of Martek, said: "The importance of this agreement with Seacom cannot be overstated. Seacom expects to order significant numbers of further ship sets during the mandatory compliance schedule for BNWAS."

As well as BNWAS, Martek Marine offers systems for engine emissions monitoring, gas detection, water level detection and cargo tank monitoring.

Martek Marine website

Images: seacomelectronics.com