Korea Wants Lion?s Share of BWTS Market

Korea has been home to 11 ballast water treatment systems which currently account for over 35 per cent of the global market. However, there are still very few third party laboratories able to conduct the testing required to meet international standards. As a result, the Korean government is expected to finish preparations for a bill this month that will encourage ballast water treatment system (BWTS) manufacturers to develop and produce better products. The aim: to obtain over 50 per cent of the global market. 

The industry has not been without its problems. Leading Korean manufacturer, Techcross, has had its ABS type approval for 14 models of the Electro-Cleen System (ECS) re-instated in December last year. The company had already acquired ABS type approval for ECS A Type models in 2011. However, this original type approval was temporarily suspended after TECHCROSS sent out the second technical notification to cease all operations of ECS until all safety upgrades and modifications to both software and hardware were completed as a result of 2 incidents in early 2013.

Now the type approval has been re-instated and a new type approval for the B Type model also achieved after conducting an FMEA (Failure Mode Effects Analysis) with the new safety upgrades and modifications made. It is important to note that the FMEA conducted with ABS was the world’s first FMEA for a BWTS conducted by classification. This FMEA is just one of many risk assessments conducted by Techcross to ensure the safety of their systems, and the company says it is time for other classifications to conduct similar risk assessments for other systems in the market to demonstrate full safety even in emergency manual mode where sensors and alarms are overridden.

As of January 9st, 38 countries representing 30.38 per cent of world tonnage have ratified the Ballast Water Management Convention. It will enter into force 12 months after the date on which not less than 30 states and the combined merchant fleets of which constitute not less than 35 per cent of the gross tonnage of the world’s merchant fleet has ratified.

Ratifying countries are: Albania, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Cook Islands, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Kenya, Kiribati, Lebanon, Liberia,
Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall lslands, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nigeria
Niue, Norway, Palau, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic,  Trinidad and Tobago and Tuvalu.