Mesab

What Mesab does

Mesab (Marine Environmental Solutions AB), founded in 2009 and headquartered in Årsta, Sweden, is a marine engineering and installation services firm specializing in environmental compliance retrofits for commercial vessels. Its core offerings are turnkey installations of Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS), using mechanical filtration followed by UV disinfection, and Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS / scrubbers) designed to meet IMO SOx and NOx emission limits. These are supported by in-house marine engineering design, 3D laser scanning with CAD-PID modeling, drone-based 4K inspections, manning/staffing, and ongoing service and repair of installed systems. The company has more recently extended into Fuel Split Units that enable vessels to switch between fuel types during operation.

Mesab generates revenue primarily through project-based, one-time installation contracts with marine operators, augmented by professional services revenue from ongoing maintenance, repair, and skilled-labor manning. Pricing is quote-based and varies by vessel type, scope, and location; a single SEK 200 million order with Royal Caribbean Group and Carnival Corporation for work on five cruise ships illustrates the large, lumpy project economics typical of the business. Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise field sales to shipowners and operators, with senior account managers maintaining direct relationships with cruise lines, ferry operators, and cargo/ro-ro shipping companies; projects are acquired through industry reputation, direct outreach, and competitive tenders.

The company serves cruise ships (Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Cunard), ferry operators (P&O Ferries), and cargo/ro-ro shipping (Wallenius, Finnlines), executing installations globally during normal ship operations at various ports. Mesab has offices in Sweden, the United Kingdom (Southampton), and the United States, employing approximately 20 office staff supported by a flexible workforce of around 150 experienced marine welders and technicians. Since October 2020, Mesab has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Instalco Group, a Nordic installation conglomerate with approximately SEK 14 billion in group turnover.

Name

Mesab

Legal name

Marine Environmental Solutions AB

Website

https://mesab.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mesab (Marine Environmental Solutions AB) is a Swedish marine engineering and installation services firm specializing in turnkey retrofitting of Ballast Water Treatment Systems and Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems for cruise lines, ferry operators, and cargo shipowners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Engineering and Installation Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Retrofits, Upgrades & Compliance Conversions (Scrubbers, BWTS, Alternative Fuels, Energy-Saving Devices) (TLAHAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ballast Water, Bilge & Wastewater Treatment Systems (Environmental/Utility) (IMAJAIAJ), Marine Automation, Control & PLC/SCADA Systems (IMAJAJAC), Piping, HVAC & Fluid Systems (Fuel, Ballast, Firemain, Refrigeration) (TLAHAMAF)

Keywords

• Marine engineering services
• Ballast water treatment
• Exhaust gas cleaning
• Vessel retrofitting services
• Marine environmental compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Årsta

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Turnkey Installation Projects: Full-service installation projects from surveying and inspection through installation and commissioning. Revenue is project-based, one-time per installation with variable contract values (e.g., SEK 200 million cruise sector order).
2. Service and Repair: Ongoing service and repair for installed systems including maintenance, troubleshooting, and parts replacement.
3. Manning Services: Providing skilled workers (welders, technicians, project managers) for client projects regardless of location.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Mesab delivers turnkey installation and retrofitting of Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS) and Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) for commercial marine vessels such as cruise ships, ferries, and cargo ships. The company handles full project management, in-house 3D-CAD-PID engineering, prefabrication, onboard installation, commissioning, and after-sales service, supported by a dedicated marine workforce and manning services.

Product overview

Mesab (Marine Environmental Solutions AB) is a marine engineering and installation services company offering specialized services for the shipping and shipbuilding industry. The company's core offerings include installation and retrofitting of Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS) and Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) to meet international environmental regulations. These are complemented by supporting services including Turnkey project management, Marine Engineering, Service & Repair, 3D-CAD-PID design capabilities, Drone Inspections, and Manning services. The company also offers Fuel Split Units as a newer technology product. Mesab operates as part of the Instalco Group and serves cruise lines, ferries, and cargo shipping clients globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Turnkey Installations End-to-end delivery service where Mesab takes full accountability for installing BWTS and EGCS systems on commercial vessels, from engineering and prefabrication through onboard installation and commissioning.
• Project Management Centralized planning and coordination of complex vessel retrofit projects for shipowners and operators, ensuring on-time and compliant execution of BWTS and EGCS installation programs.
• Marine Engineering Specialized marine engineering support covering vessel surveys, system design, and integration engineering for BWTS and EGCS retrofits.
• Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) Installation and retrofitting of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (scrubbers) aboard commercial vessels to enable compliance with IMO sulfur-emission regulations.
• Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS) Installation and retrofitting of Ballast Water Treatment Systems aboard commercial vessels to meet IMO Ballast Water Management Convention requirements.
• Service & Repair After-sales service, maintenance, and repair of installed BWTS, EGCS, and related marine environmental systems for shipowners and operators.
• 3D-CAD-PID In-house 3D-CAD-PID engineering and drawing service that produces customized vessel integration designs for BWTS and EGCS installations.
• Drone Inspections Drone-based (UAS) inspections of marine vessels and equipment to support condition assessment, surveys, and planning of retrofit or service work.
• Manning Services Provision of Mesab's dedicated marine workforce — welders, electricians, supervisors, and other onboard personnel — to shipowners and operators for installation, service, and retrofit projects.
• Fuel Split Units Installation of Fuel Split Units to support marine power-system configurations associated with environmental retrofits.

Quantifiable outcome

• All ships of 300 gross registered tons or more must have Ballast Water Treatment Systems by 2024 per IMO regulations

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HP WeldingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 April 2022HP Welding is responsible for delivery of hull bushings in high-grade steel as part of the Queen Victoria EGCS installation project. This collaboration combines specialized steel fabrication expertise with Mesab's installation capabilities.
• NCE (Nordpipe Composite Engineering)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 April 2022NCE is responsible for delivery of fibreglass reinforced plastic (GRP) components as part of the Queen Victoria EGCS installation project. Provides specialized composite manufacturing for marine applications.
• Alfa LavalcoreTechnology or IntegrationMesab installs ballast water treatment systems manufactured by Alfa Laval. The systems use mechanical filtration followed by UV disinfection technology to treat ballast water before discharge, meeting IMO regulatory requirements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Alfa Laval: Alfa Laval is the manufacturer of the PureBallast BWTS that Mesab installs and is a leading marine equipment OEM. As Mesab's core technology partner, Alfa Laval is comparable through its marine environmental product portfolio (heat exchangers, separation, fluid handling) and offers overlapping capabilities in BWTS and exhaust gas cleaning as part of a much wider portfolio.
• ABB Marine & Ports: ABB Marine & Ports provides propulsion, automation, and electrical systems for ships and offers service and retrofit work for cruise and commercial operators. Comparable to Mesab through its retrofit engineering capability on cruise vessels, though it competes across a much wider set of marine electrical and automation categories.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Kongsberg Maritime delivers integrated ship systems, automation, and propulsion, with services spanning vessel upgrades, lifecycle support, and emission control retrofits. As a major marine technology and service provider, it competes with Mesab in delivering complex retrofit projects, particularly on cruise and offshore vessels, though across a much broader portfolio.
• Wärtsilä: Wärtsilä is one of the largest marine systems and lifecycle service providers globally, offering ship power solutions, BWTS (via acquired Clean Marine), and exhaust gas aftertreatment services. It operates as a broad incumbent with deep resources across newbuild and retrofit, comparable to Mesab in the EGCS/BWTS retrofit space but with vastly larger scale and equipment ownership.

Direct peers

• Yara Marine Technologies: Yara Marine Technologies specializes in emissions reduction solutions for shipping, including scrubbers, fuel-flex systems, and shore power. Like Mesab, it focuses on retrofitting environmental compliance systems on existing vessels and serves similar cruise, ferry, and cargo customers. Both companies are positioned in the marine decarbonization retrofit value chain with comparable service offerings.
• Langh Tech: Langh Tech is a Finnish marine scrubber and exhaust gas cleaning system manufacturer that also provides retrofit services. As a Nordic specialist with overlapping BWTS/EGCS focus, it directly parallels Mesab's technology and customer base, competing for similar compliance-driven cruise and cargo retrofit contracts.
• Hamworthy (Wärtsilä): Hamworthy, now part of Wärtsilä, provides marine engineering services including pumping, piping, and exhaust gas cleaning system integration. Its focus on retrofit and lifecycle services for commercial and cruise operators directly overlaps with Mesab's core turnkey installation business, particularly for scrubber and exhaust system installations.
• Cathel Group: Cathel is a Nordic marine and offshore services company specializing in piping, HVAC, mechanical, and electrical installations on vessels. It directly competes with Mesab on turnkey marine retrofit projects for cruise and offshore clients, with overlapping capabilities in mechanical outfitting and complex onboard installations.

Others

• Carnival Corporation & plc: Carnival Corporation is the world's largest cruise operator and a Mesab customer (Queen Victoria, P&O, Princess, and Carnival brand vessels). Included as a downstream customer that drives Mesab's project pipeline and represents the largest source of installed-base opportunity.
• Royal Caribbean Group: Royal Caribbean Group is a major cruise operator and a Mesab customer (Celebrity fleet EGCS/BWTS work). Included as a downstream customer reference rather than a competitor; illustrates the quality of Mesab's enterprise client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-environmental-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mesab