Coldharbour seeks Japanese BWTS type approval

The approval is a requirement for all foreign companies in the marine sector seeking to sell their products to customers in Japan.

“This is a key step in establishing our commitment to the Japanese market,” said Andrew Marshall, Coldharbour Marine chief executive.

“This market is very important to us for a number of reasons. Japanese owners control the world’s second largest fleet, including many of the vessels for which our technology is ideally suited.”

Key step

Mr Marshall said that Coldharbour had engaged in Japan’s type approval process in direct response to a number of requests from large Japanese ship-owning groups.

He believes that the type approval process in likely to take about two months and may also include an inspection of the company’s manufacturing plant in Linby, Nottinghamshire, in the UK.

Coldharbour Marine Limited is a UK-based design, engineering business with nearly four decades of inert gas and water treatment experience.

The company has a long history in the inert gas generation sector and has in recent years become known for its Sea Guardian technology, a compact “third generation” technology for use in LNG carriers and large tankers.

Sea Guardian is fully type-approved by IMO, with testing undertaken by both the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Lloyd’s Register.

It also has US Coast Guard Alternate Management Systems acceptance and is currently undergoing the full US Coast Guard type approval process.