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Environmental concerns are driving the equipment market

Over the next decade, the marine equipment market could be worth on average $14 to $16.5 billion annually in the new commercial shipping sector, while the global spares demand from the international merchant fleet could add another $2 to $3bn.

This is the assessment of a report on the shipping equipment market published in 2007, which further stated that the primary determinant of marine equipment demand will be the scale of future activity in the newbuilding market. This assessment, however, might have been somewhat off the mark due to the interruption caused by the onset of a recession toward the end of 2007.

As the economy increasingly is reviving internationally, this market is due to pick up over the months ahead. The impact of the recession might not have been as immediate in this market as in many others, due to the long lead times on the order books of shipbuilders.

With the increasing pressure for a more environmentally friendly shipping sector, the retrofitting of vessels with the latest technology in equipment is impacting positively on the opportunities in this market.

Ongoing innovation in terms of design and construction is driven by market and societal demands for safer and cleaner ships.

For instance, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) states in a document entitled, “Shipping industry guidance on the use of oily water separation; Ensuring compliance with Marpol”: “The global shipping industry is committed to a zero-tolerance approach to any non-compliance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol). In particular, the industry is committed to strict adherence to IMO requirements concerning the use of oily water separators and the monitoring and discharge of oil into the sea.”

Among others, the document recommends that companies should consider:

• Installing the latest equipment, or an upgrade in capacity, if existing equipment does not perform to requirements;

• Upgrading related equipment to minimise the production of waste;

• The advantages of the pre-processing of waste;

• Increasing tank capacity for waste where possible;

• Modifying systems to facilitate import testing of treatment systems;

• Implementing the periodic testing of the oil discharge monitoring equipment; and

• Using cleaning agents consistent with equipment capability.

The IMO’s recommendations with regard to control devices also imply the fitting of another tier of equipment on ships. These include seals on overboard valves and cross-connections, fitting of surveillance cameras, tamper-resistant recording systems, alarms and printouts to verify equipment operations, locked boxes or cages for monitoring equipment, and meters to record equipment running time for all engine-room pumps.

There seems to be broad international consensus that innovative environmental technologies and the worldwide efforts to combat climate change represent an economic opportunity – also for the developers and providers of maritime equipment.

The marine equipment and shipping industries are playing an increasingly important role in reducing transport pollution and increasing safety by the development of new and cleaner technologies. Ongoing innovation in terms of design and construction is driven by market and societal demands for safer and cleaner ships.

According to the 2007 report, the latest trends in shipbuilding have turned the equipment supply chain into a diversified global network.

“The world’s shipbuilding industry is witnessing the end of a period of substantial change. Furthermore, this process of change is not merely about shifts in geographical location. Shipbuilding used to be an all-embracing venture, with the shipyard itself possessing multiple workshops producing a vast array of equipment, fixtures and fittings.

“Now, and in the future, shipbuilding yards will develop the primary role of systems manager and final assembly site. Increasingly, modules will be delivered by sub-contractors and equipment will arrive from specialist providers.

“As the 21st century develops, some ‘traditional’ maritime countries will see their shipbuilding industry become a provider of specialist equipment or modules. Consequently, marine equipment producers will find their role in the newbuilding marketplace enhanced – and this will also have important implications for the spares and ship repair sectors,” the report adds.

Piet Coetzer

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