Korean Shipbuilders Get AiP for Ballast Tank Coating

May 27, 2020

Certification award ceremony for eco-friendly 1 Coat System (AIP) held at the Korean Register of Shipping (Photo: LISCR)

South Korean shipbuilders Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) have gained Approval in Principal (AiP) for the application of the “solvent free 1 coating system” for ballast water tanks from both the Korean Register of Shipping (KR) and the Liberian Registry.

The eco-friendly (solvent free) 1 coating system has been verified for excellent coating quality when compared to the traditional double coating system and has passed quality standards for alternative specifications as laid out in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) PSPC regulations.

An award ceremony in honor of the approval was held at KR headquarters in Busan, Korea on Wednesday. Senior officers from the stakeholders were present for this momentous occasion, including Oh Min Ahn, Senior Vice President of HHI; Yeong Jun Nam, Executive Vice President of HMD; Yean Tae Kim, Executive Vice President of KR; and Jung Sik Kim, Managing Director of the Liberian Registry in Korea.

“This acquisition of AiP will be a foundation to secure competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry also following global eco-friendly trends, eventually maximize the satisfaction of our clients, ship owners,” Ahn said.

Nam added, “We can lay the groundwork for dramatically improving the shipbuilding process with the eco-friendly 1 coating system, which has an excellent protective coating performance. And we believe it will contribute to increase of coating productivity and enhance the coating quality in the near future”

KR's Kim said, “We are very pleased to be working on this project with the Liberian Registry, which has long contributed to maritime safety and environmental protection, and Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, which are leading global shipbuilding technology. This project will provide an opportunity to decisively enhance the prestige of the Korean shipbuilding industry by leading eco-friendly shipbuilding technology.”

Liberian Registry's Kim delivered a message from Alfonso Castillero, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian Registry in HQ: “On behalf of the Liberian Registry, and our entire global team, I want to thank all stakeholders for making Liberia a part of this important project. We are proud to have been able to use our experienced Technical in-house experts to work with HHI, HMD and KR closely to reach this Approval in Principal.”