- The Semb-Eco ballast water treatment system is one of the technologies which is being patented by Sembcorp Marine.
- The company in partnership with Ecospec is developing ballast water treatment system and scrubbers.
- They are capitalizing on environmental retrofitting by strengthening their intellectual property right.
- As their UV-based Semb-Eco BWMS awaits the US Coast Guard approval, they are furthering research and development facilities for offshore and marine sectors.
- Maran Tanker’s Ballast retrofitting in 13 vessels is the biggest environmental retrofitting of Sembcorp till date.
In a major development, Shipbuilding and repair group Sembcorp Marine has announced that they are taking full ownership of technologies developed in partnership with Ecospec, says a report published in Marine Propulsion.
What’s the reason behind this?
As they aim to capitalize on an uptick in environmental retrofits, they are acquiring patents to serve the retrofit market. The Semb-Eco ballast water treatment system is among environmental technologies involved in the deal.
The Semb-Eco ballast water treatment, EIMag cathodic protection, BioMag fouling control, ScaMag boiler water treatment and CSNOx emissions abatement technologies all deploy ultra-low frequency (ULF) wave technology patented by Ecospec. As part of a share swap, Sembcorp Marine will both relinquish its investment in Ecospec and acquire intellectual property around these technologies.
How will it be done?
A Sembcorp Marine spokesman told Marine Propulsion that the company has been working with Ecospec to develop scrubbers and ballast water treatment systems since 2012. “As we scale up our efforts, we have come to an agreement for Sembcorp Marine to drive the process forward,” he said.
How will it help?
“Through this transaction, Sembcorp Marine further strengthens its intellectual property and knowledge to facilitate research and development of solutions for the global offshore and marine sectors,” said Sembcorp Marine president Wong Weng Sun. “This in turn supports our efforts to move up the value chain so that we can do more for our customers.”
US Coast Guard Approval
The environmental technologies complement Sembcorp Marine’s retrofitting business, which includes installing scrubbers and ballast water management systems. The company provides project management, vessel survey, integration design engineering, and green technology equipment supply as well as retrofitting, conducted within scheduled drydockings.
A spokesman confirmed that the UV-based Semb-Eco BWMS – the only such system to be researched, developed, manufactured and factory tested in Singapore – is expected to receive US Coast Guard type approval certification “in the coming months”.
Why is it necessary?
The introduction of IMO’s global sulphur cap and the ongoing installation timeframe for its Ballast Water Management Conference are responsible for driving a boom in ship repairs, noted by several brokers in the first weeks of 2019. In September, Maran Tankers contracted with Sembcorp Marine for the installation of marine scrubbers and ballast water management systems on 13 vessels – the yard group’s biggest environmental retrofitting deal to date.
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Source: Marine Propulsion
