ACO Marine has secured an order from Turkish naval architect Soyaslan Design to design and manufacture a Clarimar MF-3 biological wastewater management system for installation to the luxury yacht Nirvana. With capacity for 24 passengers and 13 crew, the 40m long newbuild is under construction at the Tuzla-based Torlak Shipyard for an undisclosed foreign owner. ACO Marine, a division of Germany’s ACO Group, has established a solid reputation in the European super- and mega-yacht markets. However, Nirvana marks the first reference for a Turkish designed and built yacht. The order also represents the first yacht contract secured by Istanbul-based ESKO Marine, ACO Marine’s recently appointed sales and distribution agent in the region. Turhan Soyaslan, partner, Soyaslan Design, said: “The solution provided by ACO Marine, together with its local service agent Esko Marine, allowed us to incorporate the latest wastewater treatment technology into a very tight machinery space.” With its patented ´Bio-Sword´ filtration technology, the Clarimar system eliminates the requirement for settling and chlorination stages, resulting in one of the smallest sewage treatment plants on the market. The Nirvana unitincludes a vacuum interface and capacity to treat waste streams up to5600l/d(hydraulic load) and 3.61kg/d(BOD5) by way of an in-line mountedUV lamp, with no requirement for chemicals in any part of the ACO MFprocess.  Black and grey water tank capacity is3.8m3. In addition to the Clarimar unit, the scope of supply includes an ACO PowerVAC dual pump vacuum station, vacuum interface valves, vacuum toilets, and grease traps. Erhan Esinduy, Managing Director, ESKO Marine, said: “We are proud to be associated with this project – the first Turkish yacht reference for ACO Marine. Nirvana is designed for unrestricted navigation so needed a compact wastewater treatment capable of meeting the discharge requirements relating to the latest IMO standards detailed in MEPC 227(64).” Designed for a maximum speed of 14 knots, Nirvana will be powered by twin Doosan 4v222TIH engines each rated at 588kW at 2100rpm. The twin shafts will each drive, via reduction gears, a 1275mm diameter propeller. A 55kW bow thruster delivers additional manoeuvrability. Mark Beavis, Managing Director, ACO Marine, said: “Turkey has a long maritime history and is strategically located on the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Aegean Sea.  Over the past 20 years, its maritime shipbuilding exports have increased and in recent years the country’s builders have diversified into the luxury yacht market. Nirvana is truly indicative of the advancements Turkish shipbuilders and naval architects have made to meet the yacht market’s high standards.” Since 2006, ACO Marine has established itself as the leading supplier of wastewater treatment technologies to the yacht sector, having supplied equipment to some 32 projects, the majority of which are more than 100m in length.