Liberia hails BWMC amendments as good for shipping and environment

The Liberian Maritime Administration has welcomed an agreement reached by the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) on an implementation schedule for the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) which broadly incorporates the terms of an amendment initially proposed by Liberia.

It was decided at the 71st session of the MEPC (MEPC 71) in London that ships built after 8 September 2017 should have a ballast water management system (BWMS) installed upon delivery. Existing ships, however, will have until their first or second MARPOL Annex I IOPPC renewal survey after 8 September 2019 to install a BWMS, depending on when the survey occurs.

What is effectively a two-year deferral on the implementation schedule for existing ships will be incorporated in the BWMC as new Regulation B-3, which sets out the timeframe for when ships should install a BWMS. The wording in Paragraph 10, meanwhile, reflects the desire by IMO member states to limit any further decoupling of the MARPOL Annex I IOPP Certificate from other convention certificates before the 8 September 2019 cut-off date.

Alfonso Castillero, Chief Commercial Officer of the Liberian International Ship &Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “We want to thank the industry and all member states for the key role they played in securing this agreement. Liberia was one of the first administrations to ratify the convention, and is entirely committed to its effective and smooth implementation. But the existence of important practical and technical considerations compelled it to seek the support of other stakeholders in securing an equitable implementation date for the BWM Convention.

“Liberia began proposing amendments to the convention at earlier sessions of MEPC, in the belief that the proposed implementation schedule was unworkable within the predicted time-frame and given the availability of BWMS. Following last year’s MEPC70 meeting, where no clear decision was taken on the two sets of draft amendments, Liberia initiated discussions with other interested IMO member states and industry organizations to develop a single unified amendment taking into account parts of both drafts.

“Liberia is delighted that MEPC 71 approved the draft amendments, with a view to eventual adoption at MEPC 72. With just two months before the BWMC enters into force, the decision is timely and will ensure that the necessary pieces are in place for shipping and other stakeholders to effectively and smoothly implement the convention, with consequent positive implications for the protection of the marine environment.”


The Liberian Registry is the world’s most technologically advanced maritime administration. It has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive and innovative service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment. www.liscr.com

RINA announces annual results

The Board of Directors of RINA S.P.A has approved the consolidated balance sheet for the period 2012: revenues of 280 million Euros (+23%) were achieved and the operating income reached 26.3 million Euros.

The Board of RINA S.p.A. – holding company of the RINA Group – today approved the consolidated balance sheet for 2012 which confirmed the growth trend of recent years with revenues of 280 million Euros (+23% compared to 2011).

For the first time the balance sheet of RINA S.p.A. was prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to align with the standards of listed companies.

Despite the persisting negative economic situation in 2012 the company recorded a growth in revenues from integrating D’Appolonia S.p.A., which was acquired the previous year. The operating income reached 26.3 million Euros.

D’Appolonia is a leader in Italy in engineering consultancy and with it the RINA Group has entered the medium-large firm segment with over 2,100 staff in 53 countries worldwide, more than 150 offices and revenues of 295 million Euros expected for 2013.

The development of RINA’s international network has enabled growth in the Energy sector (+18%), Food (+18%) and Environment which saw business linked to CDM projects grow by 63% internationally.

Other sectors which stood out positively in 2012 are logistic infrastructures and high-speed railways in countries such as Indonesia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

In the UAE the Group won the international tender for the creation of Tasneef, the first certification body in the Arab world.

In 2012 activity dedicated to research and development reached 210,000 hours, whilst training exceeded 155,000 hours. For 2013, increasing investments are foreseen.

“Diversification, competence and innovation represented the strengths of our strategy in 2012,” stated Ugo Salerno, Chief Executive Officer and President of RINA S.p.A. “Although it was a difficult year, we succeeded in transforming the RINA Group into an integrated organization with a structure that enables us to best meet the needs of our clients.

“We are developing more new services needed during the global crisis and these will help balance the smaller contribution made by marine business. We are satisfied with our growth, revenues have reached 280 million Euros (+23%), and we managed to keep our organization intact and continued to invest, through innovative solutions, in support of the shipowning industry which is preparing itself for the recovery.”

  

RINA is a multi-national group which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, ship classification, environmental enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA Group operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Real Estate, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With revenues of 280 million Euros in 2012, over 2,100 employees, and 150 offices in 53 countries worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rina.org

Contact:

Giulia Faravelli

Media Relations Manager RINA Group

Ph. +39 010 5385505

Email giulia.faravelli@rina.org

Susanna Gorni

Media Relations RINA Group

Ph. +39 010 5385555

Email susanna.gorni@rina.org

RINA acquisitions fuel growth

International verification, certification and ship classification group RINA continued to grow in 2011 as it embarked on an acquisition strategy. Turnover for 2011 was up to 249 million Euros (+21 per cent) and EBITDA 41 million Euros. Turnover is expected to rise to over 300 million Euros in 2012 following major acquisitions late in 2011.

“2011 was a memorable year for RINA. We celebrated our 150th anniversary by transforming the company. Internally we swept away old divisions and created a flexible matrix structure which frees up innovation and enables us to make the best use of our talents while improving customer service. Externally we began a major programme of acquisitions which enhanced our competences and increased our size by over half. We focussed our investments and growth on growing economies, strongly increasing our footprint in Asia. And we made sure the transformation is solidly based by trimming costs and sharpening our business processes,” says Chairman and CEO Ugo Salerno. “Our acquisition programme widens both our skill base and our geographical outreach. Among four companies brought into the RINA Group in 2012 the two key acquisitions were SIMTEX Srl, the leading private Romanian certification body for corporate management systems and products and D’Appolonia Group, a global engineering consultancy company.

“SIMTEX gives us a strong platform for growth in the expanding economies of Eastern Europe. D’Appolonia’s 600 highly skilled staff will boost our turnover by fifty per cent and bring us a new network of global offices and clients and expertise in strategic consultancy, earth sciences, civil, environmental and structural engineering, risk assessment, health and safety, chemical and process engineering, system and transport engineering, electronics, telecommunications and innovation engineering.

“Diversification in 2011 saw us providing our first certification in the fishing and seafood areas, including the Alaskan salmon fisheries. We delivered the world’s largest transhipment terminal to Vale, in record time and on budget. We grew into aerospace and launched new environmental tools and services. Our power generation teams delivered projects on time in a number of countries. We built our gas business internationally as we became recognised as a centre of LNG and CNG handling expertise. And we substantially increased our R&D efforts, moving beyond our traditional marine field.”

RINA’s environmental business surged 200 per cent in 2011, certification outside Italy was up 30 per cent and RINA increased market share in almost all sectors. Against a background of a globally difficult market for shipowners and shipyards marine services continued to be the largest contributor to RINA’s turnover in 2011. The classed fleet grew by 8.5 per cent to 4,375 ships totalling 33m gt and despite the slowdown in global ordering RINA closed the year with a strong order book of 425 ships totalling 3.3m gt building to RINA class.

The strong results in the marine sector were achieved by expanding into new areas and increasing services to shipowners. Asia showed especially strong growth with the classed fleet of vessels owned in Asia increasing by 25 per cent.


The RINA Group is an international company that helps enterprises and communities to achieve greater competitiveness and effective risk management through the conception, creation, management and assessment of projects. The Group has developed the best competencies and combined them with its own values of integrity and responsibility, gained in over 150 years of experience, into a way of working that meets the highest expectations. RINA Group delivers advanced technical competency through a network of companies dedicated to different sectors covering Environment and Quality, Energy, Maritime, Ethics and Safety, Food Production and Healthcare, Infrastructures and Constructions, Logistics and Transport. With a turnover of around 300 million Euros in 2012, over 2,100 employees, and 130 offices in 42 countries worldwide, RINA meets the needs of its clients and is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rina.org


For more information:

Claudia Filippone
Head of Media Relations RINA
+39 010 5385643
claudia.filippone@rina.org

Giulia Faravelli
Media Relations
+39 010 5385505
giulia.faravelli@rina.org