Thordon Bearings Strengthens European Presence

Thordon Bearings, the provider of bearing solutions for marine, has signed sales and distribution agreements with St. Petersburg-based Industrial & Marine Projects (IMPRO) and Tallinn’s Marine Ecology Equipment (MEE), in a development that anticipates the introduction of more stringent pollution rules for European waterways.

The appointment of new distributors for Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia and Azerbaijan coincides with concern that more should be done to reduce the impact of oil pollution in the ecologically sensitive Baltic Sea and Caspian Sea areas.

“While MARPOL Annex I and Annex IV of the Helsinki Convention prohibit the discharge of oil or oily mixtures into the Baltic Sea, the vast majority of vessels continue to operate oil-lubricated propeller shaft bearings which, as we know, continually leak oil into the sea,” said Thordon’s Regional Manager in Europe, George Morrison.

“Given that the prohibition applies not only to discharges from cargo tanks but also to discharges from machinery spaces, we anticipate the introduction of European regulations similar in scope to the EPA’s Vessel General Permit rule in the US. We expect the Baltic States, in particular, to be the first to clampdown on this source of oil pollution.”

Morrison added that the expansion of Thordon’s European sales and distribution network with the appointment of IMPRO and MEE aims to help “facilitate shipowners’ move towards a safer, more cost effective bearing solution”, while ensuring they remain environmentally compliant."

Oleg Mrachkovskiy, Managing Director, Marine Ecology Equipment, said, “We are delighted that we can add Thordon’s range of products to our portfolio. As the market leader in water-lubricated and grease-free bearings, Thordon is well placed to help shipowners maintain the integrity of the ship-to-sea interface with a water-based shaft bearing solution.”