Press Releases

2018

December 4, 2018

Kurita Steps Up Global Business Expansion of Ballast Water Treatment System, Contributing to Conservation of Marine Environment and Biodiversity
~Concludes distribution agreement with TeamTech, a marine equipment manufacturer in Norway~

Kurita Water Industries Ltd. (Head Office: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President: Michiya Kadota; hereinafter "Kurita") considers the influence of discharged ballast water (*) on the marine environment and biodiversity as a global social issue and is stepping up activities to solve it. In its medium-term management plan that started in April this year, "MVP-22 (Maximize Value Proposition 2022)," Kurita has also positioned the solution of the ballast water problem as an important measure, aiming to realize "creation of shared value with society," and has bolstered its initiatives in this regard as activities that contribute to the achievement of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

In March 2017, prior to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments taking effect, Kurita obtained the certification based on the Guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems (G8) from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Type Designation from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and launched KURITA BWMS, its unique ballast water treatment system. KURITA BWMS is a water treatment system that sterilizes ballast water by using chemical agents only. Since the system does not use a device that filters living substances contained in ballast water, it requires only a small footprint. Also, because of its simple structure consisting of a chemical agent storage tank and a chemical agent injection/control unit, the system provides advantages including a shorter construction period when installed in a ship that has already been in service (hereinafter "ships on service").

In addition, to further accelerate global business expansion of KURITA BWMS, Kurita concluded a distribution agreement for KURITA BWMS with a marine equipment manufacturer in Norway, TeamTec AS (hereinafter "TeamTec").

According to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, which took effect in September 2017, newly built ships have already started to mount a ballast water treatment system. Ships in service are also obligated to mount the system by 2024. TeamTec is a marine equipment manufacture that manufactures and sells not only ballast water treatment systems but also incineration equipment for ships, etc., and possesses global sales and service networks with a wide range of customers mainly in the ship industry.
By responding to demand for mounting the ballast water treatment systems from the customers of TeamTec, Kurita will seek to increase the sales volume of KURITA BWMS to several hundred units by 2022, when the mounting demand is presumed to peak, and increase its market share in the ballast water treatment market.
While TeamTec possesses its own product Oceansaver®, a ballast water treatment system using electrolyzation and filtering for treatment, and has an extensive sales track record in this market, it will add KURITA BWMS, which uses chemical agents, to its product lineup to establish a system that enables finely tuned responses to customer needs and will focus on productng synergies by accelerating collaboration with Kurita.

Targeting the global expansion of KURITA BWMS to solve the global ballast water problem, the Kurita Group is also applying for the type approval of the United States Coast Guard, which requires ships that call at ports in the U.S. to follow its unique ballast water management procedures. Through expansion of the applicable range of its ballast water treatment system, which contributes to conservation of marine environment and biodiversity, Kurita will work to realize a sustainable society.

  • (*)Ballast water:Seawater taken in an on-board tank to maintain the balance of a ship after unloading. The water is discharged when loading cargos at another port after passage. Marine life, bacteria, and other living organisms contained in that water cause environmental damage (destruction of an ecosystem), economic damage (damage to industrial and fishing activities), and harm to human health (onset of diseases by harmful bacteria) in the marine area where the water is discharged. Therefore, preventing transboundary movement is a social issue.

Outline of TeamTec AS

Company name TeamTec AS
Established in 1995
Capital 1,185 thousand NOK (161 million yen)
Head office Tvedestrand, Norway
Business Manufacture, sale, and maintenance of ballast water treatment systems and marine equipment
No. of employees 73 employees
Locations of principal facilities Norway, Singapore, South Korea, and other collaborative bases (in China, South Korea, U.S., Europe, and so on)

Contributing to SDGs

Through provision of this system, Kurita Group will contribute to achievement of Goal 14: Life below water.