We look back over our most read stories from 2020 to revisit the topics your reading habits revealed as key drivers in the maritime industry
Our most popular stories of 2020 in the ballast water treatment sector, perhaps unsurprisingly, are related to regulatory changes and implementation deadlines. The most read story in the list concerned BWMS failures during D-2 commissioning testing, discussed during Riviera’s Navigating the BWMS system selection maze webinar.
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Another popular story from 2020 concerned South Korean firm Panasia’s regulatory battle around type-approvals for its ballast water management system. Panasia is one of South Korea’s largest manufacturers of marine equipment, and the cancellation and suspension of cancellation notices from the South Korean Government specifically involved 48 models of Panasia’s Glo-En Patrol, a filtration and UV irradiation ballast water treatment system.
All the way back in January 2020, Celsius Shipping chief executive Niels Stig Christensen, writing for Ballast Water Treatment Technology magazine, suggested owners stand in solidarity against the new Ballast Water Management Convention.
Our top stories also included stories about innovations in ballast water treatment and moves within the market.
To read each story in full, click on the headline, the image or the link at the end of the text.
1. 21% of BWMS fail to meet D-2 requirements during commissioning testing
Commissioning testing of ballast water management systems (BWMS) is not yet compulsory but even the most carefully selected BWMS can fail to meet D-2 requirements if there is a breakdown in communication in the installation phase, attendees of the Navigating the BWMS system selection maze webinar heard.
2. Panasia faces possible suspension of BWMS type-approval
In early February, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) announced the cancellation of type-approvals for 48 models of Panasia’s ballast water management systems. Two weeks later, MOF issued a notice suspending the type-approval cancellations announced in the previous notice for 30 days by order of the Seoul Administrative Court. This follows allegations of discrepancies between the Panasia Glo-En Patrol type-approval and models delivered to customers. This has only affected Panasia’s South Korean type-approval and does not extend to other regions.
3. Trojan withdraws amid ’regulatory delays’ and challenging market
In June 2020, Trojan Technologies said it had "made the extremely difficult decision to exit the ballast water treatment market and will begin winding down related activity over the next couple of months”.
Trojan Marinex’s statement on exiting the ballast water treatment market did not offer specific reasons as to why the company is winding down ballast water treatment activities, referring only to “regulatory delays and increasingly challenging market dynamics”.
Trojan was continuing development of its systems as recently as April 2020, when Trojan Marinex had partnered with GEA of Germany, one of Europe’s largest suppliers of food processing equipment, to develop the BallastMaster marineX ballast water treatment system.
In addition to the US Coast Guard’s hesitancy in adopting MPN testing, delays due to Covid-19 arose in 2020 regarding BWMS being approved for IMO revised G8 type-approval before the 28 October 2020 deadline.
The company said it would continue to support and service vessels using Trojan Marinex ballast water management systems (BWMS) and would complete the manufacture of systems already on order.
Trojan first started developing ballast water treatment systems in 2008.
4. Shipowners must unite against the BWM Convention
Celsius Shipping chief executive Niels Stig Christensen believes shipowners have been too passive when it comes to accepting regulations and has called on owners to push for shoreside infrastructure.
5. Three more ballast water management systems gain US Coast Guard type-approval
In March 2020, the US Coast Guard announced type-approval for three BWMS. All the systems were from South Korean providers, and at the time only 12 BWMS remained under review.
6. 28 October 2020: IMO revised G8 compliance deadline day
2020 saw a race to certify ballast water treatment systems in time for the 28 October 2020 revised G8 criteria deadline.
The Revised G8 criteria stems from the original guidelines for the approval of ballast water management systems which was adopted on 10 October 2008 (MEPC.174(58)). Feedback revealed these guidelines were not robust enough to ensure compliance.
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