Colfax has today announced that Italian ferry operator, Moby Lines, has purchased 14 of its Optiline magnetic coupling pumps. They will be used for heavy oil transfer in the engine rooms of a number of Moby Lines’ ferries on its routes to and from the Italian mainland to the islands of the Upper Tirrenian Sea. The pumps were sold through Colfax’s Italian distributor.

Luigi Savarese, fleet manager, Moby Lines, said: “This deal gives use the confidence to reduce maintenance downtime and costs at the same time as maintaining the highest levels of engine room safety.”

Colfax delivered the pumps, which were purchased to replace a previous generation of leaking pumps, in May 2012. They are effectively a drop-in replacement for current IMO AB three-screw pumps, which ensures that the cost of piping and re-structuring is kept to a minimum.

The pumps have been designed to maintain high performance at extreme temperatures for heavy fuel oil applications. They are guaranteed for five years, have five-year service intervals and are fully compliant with the SOLAS guidelines and directives, according to a statement from Colfax.

The company also stated that “by utilizing a fully sealed pump solution, Moby Lines will be able to reduce vessel downtime and spare parts, leading to a significant cost of ownership benefit over the life of each pump.”