Optimarin Buys BWTS Competitor Hyde Marine

 

UV ballast water treatment system builder Optimarin has acquired a competing brand, Pittsburgh-based Hyde Marine, from the Italian conglomerate De Nora. For undisclosed terms, Optimarin is purchasing the Hyde brand, its UV intellectual property, and select design, sale and aftermarket assets. 

"We have recently expanded our product portfolio with oily water separators and sewage treatment plants. Now, with this transaction, we are growing the core BWTS business to consolidate our strong position in this market and firmly intend to remain a force to be reckoned with in the maritime sector,” said Optimarin CEO Tore Svanheld in a statement.

Hyde's Guardian ultra-violet (UV) systems are designed for smaller vessels with lower ballast flow rates, such as offshore support vessels, container ships, cruise ships and small tankers. The Guardian system features fully automatic flow regulation, an alarm system for out-of-parameter conditions, and a dose-based algorithm to ensure proper treatment.  

Hyde's aftermarket support will now benefit from the Optimarin service center, which also manages distribution of spare parts. The Hyde spare parts inventory will be transferred to Optimarin’s main storage depots in Norway and Luxembourg.

The Hyde name dates back to 1865, when the Hyde Windlass Company was founded in the shipbuilding town of Bath, Maine. It was one of the first companies to enter the ballast water treatment market, before the passage of the IMO requirement to install a BWTS. Hyde was bought by Calgon Carbon in 2010, then by De Nora in 2021, and will now live under the Optimarin portfolio. 

Up until the sale, De Nora was one of the few BWTS vendors that offered both electrochlorination systems (for large merchant ships) and Hyde's UV systems (for small-to-midsize vessels or lower flow rates). De Nora retains its electrochlorination product line.