We’re proud to announce that Rivertrace has achieved Type Approval from DNV to the Clean Design 5PPM requirements, a significant milestone that reinforces our commitment to innovation, compliance, and environmental protection across the marine industry.
This approval confirms that Rivertrace’s SMART BILGE OCM meets the stringent standards set by DNV for vessels certified with the Clean Design notation. It demonstrates our continued alignment with the highest international standards for oily water discharge performance and environmental safety.
A Longstanding Partnership with DNV
This achievement builds upon more than 20 years of collaboration between Rivertrace and DNV, particularly through the expert guidance of Martin Olofsson and Hagen Markus, who has been instrumental in supporting our MARPOL Type Approvals since the early days of SMART Bilge development.
“Thank you very much for your kind cooperation and a well prepared test bench. It was a pleasure to meet you all in Redhill during the tests in August this year.”
Martin Olofsson, Senior Principal Engineer, DNV
As Hagen approaches his retirement later this month, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation for his professionalism, deep technical knowledge, and unwavering support over the years. His contribution to both Rivertrace and the wider industry leaves a lasting legacy.
Teamwork That Makes It Possible
A special thank you also goes to our development engineers, James and Neal, who led the design validation and testing process from start to finish. Their dedication ensured that the system met every technical requirement and successfully navigated DNV’s rigorous approval process.
Image showing our Development engineers working on our 5ppm test rig
What is the 5PPM Clean Design Requirement?
The DNV Clean Design notation is awarded to ships designed and built with a reduced environmental footprint. For oily water separator systems, this means demonstrating oil content levels below 5 parts per million (PPM) in overboard discharge – an even stricter limit than the 15PPM MARPOL MEPC.107(49) standard.
In practical terms, achieving 5PPM performance means tighter monitoring accuracy, enhanced separator performance, and robust system validation under a range of operational conditions. It’s a key step for shipowners seeking to exceed baseline compliance and operate to the most environmentally responsible standards.
Continuing Our Mission
This approval reflects our ongoing mission: to deliver trusted, compliant, and forward-thinking solutions that help ship operators stay ahead of regulations and protect our oceans for generations to come.
We’re proud to see our technology once again recognised by DNV, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as the industry evolves towards cleaner and smarter marine operations.