IMO's 81st Maritime Safety Committee officially approved the revisions to SOLAS II-1 on coating performance of seawater ballast tanks, to apply in full force to the tankers and bulkers for which the building contract is placed on or after July 1, 2008. It is said that the decision will have a big impact on the shipbuilding industry - Japanese builders with limited premises in particular - as this involves changes to overall coating and surface treating processes.

At Kyokuyo, we have been well prepared for the new rule, with a brand-new all-weather blasting factory built last year [news052]. We were needing this plant anyway, partly to meet the needs from our quality-minded international customers, and also because we wanted more precise control over our product finish and manufacturing schedule to expand our production capacity. In other words, it was a logical and natural investment to us, although we are the first (again) among the Japanese shipbuilders of our size to be armed with this kind of factory.

In our new and current metal treatment flow, we first equip a fresh-build block with pipes, electric materials and fitting parts. Next, we apply covers to the parts which need protection, and convey the block into the blast factory. After surface treatment is done and pre-coating inspection is passed, we move it out for painting. The location of the new factory contributes well to improvement of overall efficiency of the flow, as it is built just next to our all-weather block building factory. For now, the plant is used mainly for ballast tank treatment. We are planning to add bigger steel constructions, like engine room and accommodation block, to its menu.

We are happy to tell you that we are already more than ready for the regulation change.