EPE and ERMA FIRST Accelerate Ambitious Growth Strategy

Water treatment and environmental response specialists, Environmental Protection Engineering (EPE), and their sister company, industry-leading ballast water treatment specialists ERMA FIRST, have pushed forward plans to diversify product ranges and services.

oneTANK, producer of the world’s smallest ballast water treatment system, was acquired by ERMA FIRST last year. Respected German marine water treatment system manufacturer, RWO, was also brought into the fold in 2021.

Last month EPE launched EPE Yachting - a new division offering sustainable solutions for the superyacht market. 

The division offers cutting-edge water treatment and emissions abatement technologies as well as innovative professional cleaning services. Both RWO and oneTANK are available under the EPE Yachting offering.

EPE Yachting also partners with Blucher, Evac, Ingersoll Rand, Marioff, Teekay Pipe Coupling, Triclad and Wärtsilä SAM Electronics.

Speaking at the Nor-Shipping tradeshow in Norway, Helen Polychronopoulou, EPE Vice President and President of the Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers & Exporters (HEMEXPO) association said: 

“We are on track to building a Greek marine manufacturing powerhouse, with sustainability, reliability and customer care at our core. We have exciting new products in the pipeline, great customers and a global footprint. Watch this space.” 

To date, ERMA FIRST has installed over 2,500 ballast water treatment systems on more than 1,800 ships worldwide. Its global after-sales network now encompasses locations in 16 locations as well as a tie up with MAN Energy Solutions in the Benelux region. 

ERMA FIRST also owns intelligent-performance monitoring firm METIS, acquired in 2019, which brings integrated artificial intelligence to the ERMA FIRST FIT BWTS system.

"Our purchase of oneTANK last year was a game-changer for the ballast water treatment market," added ERMA FIRST Managing Director Konstantinos Stampedakis.

"The system is compact, simple-to-use, and fully automated. It delivers a quick to install additional solution for small ballast tanks on big ships as well as a stand-alone solution for small vessels such as yachts, tugs and offshore support vessels. 

"We were also delighted to welcome RWO into the fold. RWO is a world leader in water treatment systems for the shipping industry with a strong customer base and a reputation for excellence and reliability."

ERMA FIRST Group is headquartered in Piraeus and employs over 350 people globally.