Following its divestment from Wärtsilä to Solix Group AB, Hamworthy has relaunched as an independent marine water and waste systems specialist alongside its freshwater generation business, Serck Como. The standalone company will provide complete operational continuity and long-term lifecycle support for its extensive global installed base across the cruise, merchant, and offshore sectors.
Poole, UK | June 1, 2026 – In a major realignment of the marine environmental technology landscape, the historic Hamworthy brand has officially returned to the maritime market as an independent specialist. The launch follows the successful completion of Solix Group AB’s acquisition of the Water & Waste division from Finnish technology group Wärtsilä AG.
The transition restores Hamworthy as a standalone entity dedicated entirely to the engineering, production, and long-term lifecycle management of integrated marine water and waste systems. Under the new corporate architecture, the freshwater generation specialist Serck Como will continue operations under the banner Serck Como – A Hamworthy Business.
Hamworthy Independent Corporate Footprint:
- Corporate Headquarters: Poole, United Kingdom
- Manufacturing & Engineering Hub: Geesthacht, Germany (Serck Como)
- Ownership: Solix Group AB (Following divestment from Wärtsilä)
- Operational Mandate: Wastewater, Freshwater, Ballast Water & Dry Waste Handling
Strategic Separation and Market Focus
The divestment marks the final dissolution of Wärtsilä’s specialized Portfolio Business unit, bringing to an end Hamworthy’s 14-year period of integration within the Finnish conglomerate, which began in 2012. Financial disclosures from Wärtsilä indicate the Water & Waste division generated €54 million in revenue during 2025.
While the unit sat below Wärtsilä’s core capital-pumping profitability metrics, its spin-off into an agile, independent company backed by Solix Group AB is designed to unlock significant value. Free from broader corporate structures, Hamworthy can now direct 100% of its capital and engineering resources toward specialized environmental compliance.
The timing is critical. Global commercial fleets are facing an unprecedented tightening of environmental restrictions, from stricter ballast water discharge parameters to zero-discharge mandates for black and grey wastewater in protected sea lanes.
Continuity Amid Large-Scale Installed Base
A primary concern for shipowners during major corporate carve-outs is the continuity of technical support and spare parts logistics. To mitigate this, Hamworthy has confirmed that its existing operational model, global service agreements, and engineering frameworks remain entirely intact.
The company inherits a massive international footprint, featuring thousands of active legacy installations across the cruise, merchant shipping, offshore, naval, and specialized vessel segments. This includes widely adopted proprietary systems such as the Super Trident sewage treatment plants and Aquarius ballast water management systems.
“Our customers can expect complete continuity in the expertise, engineering capability, operational support and long-term accountability they already know. The same people, installed-base knowledge and lifecycle commitment remain in place.” — Fraser Scott, CEO, Hamworthy
Deep Dive: The Combined Product Envelope
| Marine Environmental Segment | Core Technology & Scope | Strategic Function |
| Wastewater Treatment | Membrane Bio-Reactors (MBR), Super Trident Sewage Treatment Plants, Vacuum Collection Systems | Processing black and grey water to meet stringent international effluent standards without hazardous chemicals. |
| Freshwater Generation | Multi-effect distillers and thermal desalination systems via Serck Como | Converting seawater into high-purity technical or potable water utilizing waste heat loops. |
| Ballast Water Management | Aquarius UV and UVX filtration and treatment configurations | High-volume biological treatment ensuring compliance with IMO and USCG invasive species mandates. |
| Solid & Wet Waste Handling | Marine incinerators, shredders, recycling equipment, and wet waste dryers | Volume reduction and safe management of dry garbage and onboard sludges. |
The “One Source” Engineering Philosophy
As shipyards and technical specifiers manage increasingly complex newbuild and retrofit projects, Hamworthy is positioning itself around a consolidated engineering approach. Rather than sourcing disparate components from isolated suppliers, the company’s product line functions as an interconnected envelope.
By integrating vacuum collection, advanced biological treatment, and dry waste incineration into a unified ecosystem, the company aims to offer ship operators a single source of lifecycle accountability.
The independent launch is framed by leadership not as a startup venture, but as a technical evolution of a brand boasting more than a century of industrial heritage.
“Hamworthy represents the evolution of Wärtsilä Water & Waste as a focused independent specialist with marine water and waste systems at the centre of everything we do. As Hamworthy, we now have an even clearer focus on helping customers operate with confidence in increasingly regulated marine environments, through deep technical expertise, integrated systems understanding and long-term support.” said, Fraser Scott, CEO, Hamworthy
About Hamworthy
Tracing its roots back to 1914 on Poole Quay, Dorset, Hamworthy is a foundational name in British marine engineering. Re-established as an independent specialist, the firm designs and supports integrated environmental protection systems for vessels worldwide. Guided by the corporate mission statement to “protect tomorrow by treating today,” the company’s technical scope spans the entire water and waste envelope from project specification through to asset decommission.
Source: Hamworthy