SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SUEZ is expanding its activities in the ballast water treatment sector, a growing market following the ratification, on September 8, of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s regulation on ballast water. The Group has signed a 5-year partnership agreement with NK, a main international player for ballast water treatment, for the supply of ozone generators for the ballast water treatment systems.
Ballast water is used in ships to maintain balance, stability, and structural integrity. It is taken on board or discharged during loading operations in ports and on high seas. Ballast water management is a major international ecological challenge as it can contain thousands of aquatic species (bacteria, micro-organisms, algae and animal species) which represent a major threat to the marine habitat and the ocean.
To address this threat, the treatment of ballast water is today being regulated through an agreement[1] drafted by the IMO. Ratified on September 2016, it will enter into force on September 8, 2017 and commit its 52 member states to minimize the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens, by equipping their fleets with ballast water treatment systems. More than 40,000 vessels will have to be equipped by 2020.
SUEZ and NK based in South Korea have signed a 5-year global partnership agreement to address this promising worldwide market. It will strengthen the collaboration between both parties which have together developed an innovative technology to treat ballast water with ozone generators of which 400 units have already been sold.
Through this agreement, SUEZ confirms its involvement in providing concrete solutions to limit the pollution of oceans. SUEZ has innovative ozone technologies and extensive experience for ballast water treatment and has invested in a state-of-the art manufacturing facility in 2010 in Tianjin, China. The cooperation with NK will create synergies based on each other's technical expertise, facilities and business platforms. Both parties expect the market to grow significantly and will continue to invest and upgrade their technologies, through R&D, to meet the increasing demand for ballast water treatment.
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The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments |
SUEZ
We are at the dawn of the resource revolution. Faced with an increasing world population, growing urban development and rarefied resources, the security, optimisation and recovery of resources are indispensable to our future. SUEZ (Paris: SEV, Brussels: SEVB) supplies 92 million people with drinking water and 65 million with sanitation services, collects waste from almost 34 million people, recovers 16 million tonnes of waste per year and generates 5,855 GWh of local and renewable energy. With 82,530 employees, SUEZ, which is present on all five continents, is a key player in the sustainable management of resources. SUEZ generated total revenues of EUR15.1 billion in 2015.
SUEZ IN ASIA
SUEZ has been present for over 60 years in South East Asia and 40 years in Greater China in water and waste management. With 9,500 employees and over 50 joint ventures with local partners, SUEZ is supporting authorities and industries in developing innovative solutions to address climate change and sustainable resource management. The Group built over 420 water and wastewater treatment plants in Asia, supplying drinking water to 20 million people. It operates China's first PPP water contract in Macau. It is also the leader of waste management in Hong Kong and delivers its expertise in the management of environmental services to 11 industrial parks. In 2015, SUEZ managed revenues of over EUR1 billion generated by its activities in Asia.
NK Company Limited
NK Company Limited is the largest Korean producer of high pressure cylinders and is also provider of high technologies in such areas as transportation and storage of compressed natural and industrial gases, fire extinguishing systems, ballast water treatment systems for ships and etc. NK Company Limited was formerly known as Nam Yang Industry Company Limited. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Busan, South Korea. It has production facilities in South Korea and internationally.
Press Contacts:
SUEZ Paris
Catherine des Arcis
Tel: +33 1 58 81 54 23
Email: catherine.desarcis@suez.com
SUEZ Asia
Joey CHIO
Tel: +853 6681 4700
Email: joeychio@sinofrench.com
