Q&A: AEGIR-Marine talks seals and propulsion

Kyle Ramqvist

SPONSORED CONTENT: Wijk bij Duurstede, Netherlands-based stern tube seal and propulsion system service specialist AEGIR-Marine was a recent sponsor of Marine Log’s Ship Repair USA conference in New Orleans, La. To learn more about what the company offers the marine industry, we sat down with Kyle Ramqvist, area sales manager for the company’s Fort Lauderdale, Fla., U.S. headquarters.

ML: First, can you give us a quick background on what AEGIR Marine does for the maritime industry?

Kyle Ramqvist (KR): AEGIR-Marine provides spares and services for stern tube seals and propulsion systems. With 10 offices and service hubs strategically located around the world, we provide 24/7 service and support to the international shipping industry. This includes repairs, overhauls and retrofits of stern tube seals, thrusters (bow, stern and azimuth), CPPs, FPPs, steering gears and stabilizers. We also provide our own, class-approved spare parts; this enables us to act quickly to minimize your downtime. Our service engineers are experienced and work afloat, in-dock, in-house or even underwater to get the job done.

We are a company with forward-thinking values: we work towards increasing sustainability within the shipping industry, making ships greener for the benefit of all. Furthermore, AEGIR-Marine is the founder of the Maritime Re-manufacturing Network: a growing group of specialist companies working together to make the maritime industry more sustainable.

ML: Let’s look at the PRIMAIR Compact Air System. What is it and what are its benefits?

KR: The PRIMAIR Compact system has been designed for converting an existing conventional sealing system to an Air seal type to comply with the VGP rules. Our air system enables the possibility to continue the use of mineral lubricants in the stern tube as it is a pollution free installation. 

It has been designed with the sole purpose to create and maintain a non-oil to water interface. An additional benefit, is that the existing installation can often be re-used to keep the costs and materials low. It is an extremely cost effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. 

ML: Is there a cost-savings when using this product?

KR: The cost saving is in:

• Use of mineral oils instead of biodegradable lubricants.
• Reduced seal wear due to regulated pressures in the system.
• A more reliable system for long-term operation. 

ML: In addition to this product, what else should vessel operators and builders know about AEGIR Marine’s offerings?

KR: In addition to stern seal related products, we provide:

• Service and Parts for bow thrusters, azimuth thrusters and CPPs.
• Services and parts for propulsion controls.
• Services and parts for stabilizers.
• Propeller blade repair, via our partner Plug & De Boer.
• Alignment and machining, via our partner OSA.
• Underwater inspection & repair, via our partner UPE.

ML: Has the industry’s goal of being more sustainable impacted your business? How so?

KR: We strongly support the industry’s move to become more sustainable. It is for this reason that we have initiated the Maritime Re-manufacturing Network, which has the potential to realize significant reductions in emissions for the industry. Furthermore, it reduces the need for raw materials, which is getting increasingly important in achieving our sustainability targets. 

We have recently measured our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. As our company grows, we have also increased our Co2 emissions over the last three years. To mitigate this, we initiated some actions to reduce our carbon footprint like, amongst others, electric company vehicles and localized regional offices to minimize the need for air travel.

ML: Anything you’d like to add that I didn’t ask?

KR: Yes—we reach out to the industry with a request to come up with suggestions to reduce our footprint without compromising on customer satisfaction and safety. Our scope 1, 2 and 3 emission have shown an increase over the last three years. In the coming years, we would like to grow our business while reducing our footprint.