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Panasia BWTS type approval cancelled by Korea

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One of the largest ballast water treatment system (BWTS) manufacturers Panasia has had type approval of its systems cancelled by the Korean courts.

A notice from Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said that the Seoul Administrative Court had cancelled type approval for 48 filtration and UV BWTS manufactured by Panasia. The notice list 48 units in GloEn-Patrol range with capacities from 50 – 6,000 cu m per hr.

The ruling has been suspended from 13 February until 20 March pending an appeal by Panasia.

According to local reports if the appeal fails Panasia would have to replace all affected units at an estimated cost of KRW100bn ($84.5m).

The cancellation of type approval is based on the reducing the number of UV lamps in the systems sold to shipowners and falsification of drawings submitted to the Ministry, local reports said. A lower number of lamps would affect the disinfection rate of the system.

Under the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention BWTS have been mandatory for all newbuildings since 8 September 2017 and for existing vessels at their next IOPP certificate renewal between 8 September 2019 through to 8 September 2024.

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