A very interesting interview was given to nafsgreen.gr by Gregory Papadakis, Managing Director, PSB& CO. SA regarding the implementation of BWM Convention.
PSB & CO S.A. is widely known for its aptitude on building reliability and strong personal relationships with its wide range of customers and global associate network. Here follows an interview with Mr. Gregory Papadakis, Managing Director, PSB & CO. S.A.:
PSB & Co SA has been working as official agent with Headway, a leading company in BWTS, for many years.Could you tell us few words about this cooperation and in what ways are you looking forward to strengthening this cooperation in the future?
Our initial acquaintance with ‘Headway Technology Group’ was made via our customers in USA who were the pioneers to install BWMS in all their vessels – VLCC, Suezmax, Aframax, Capers etc.
After a long period of thorough investigation and comparison with other BWMS systems that were available at that early stage, PSB Group of Companies and owner’s managers decided that ‘Headway Technology’ was the best system for many reasons (to be mentioned later in this article) and although at that time (in 2013) none of the Ballast Water Management Systems had obtained the USCG approval we were confident that once the American Authorities would begin to issue the approvals, Headway’s system would undoubtedly obtain the certification.
At that early stage we successfully installed ‘Headway Technology’ systems in Shipyards located in China –specifically at COSCO Group of Shipyards and Yiu Lian (Shekou) Shipyard- but also in Turkey at TK Tuzla Shipyard.
After the installation of Headway’s systems in our customers’ vessels, we spent almost 2 years of constant observation on the system’s working process in order to make sure that everything was in good order. After all these detailed checks, we were more than confident to ask from Headway to appoint us as its official agents not only for the US market (which we already were for more than 2 years with great results) but also for the Greek market.
After all, PSB’s policy is to represent only the best companies in the market and ‘Headway Technology’ is one of them!
Since then our cooperation is very close and we often visit Headway’s factories in China for training and internal discussions but also Headway’s managers visit Greece regularly for marketing purposes and expansion of their extensive customer list.
In the future PSB’s and Headway’s cooperation will get stronger and more powerful as we are both willing to expand our business relation; one of the recent discussions and future plans is to provide to our customers in USA and Europe the ‘After Sales Service’ for all installed systems.
In order to succeed on this, our company PSB & CO. S.A. will send its technicians to Headway’s headquarters for training courses in order to be officially certified by Headway Technology.
One of the greatest challenges raised in shipping industry is the implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention. What are the plans of Headway Technology and its primary goal to strengthen its position in the future?
The demand for Ballast Water Management systems have increased a lot the last years and ‘Headway Technology’, being a professional BWMS maker and the best in the market, has anticipated this increase beforehand.
In order to follow the increasing volume of demand, make sure all components apply to their high standards and strengthen its position in the future ‘Headway Technology’ has taken the following steps;
• Built an additional factory in order to maximize their production capacity and potential
• Manufacture its own filters which is the major component of the system
• Stock high quality materials and machinery in order to be able to build and timely deliver systems for all type of vessels
• Strengthen its After-Sale service by expanding service partner cooperation in order to meet large service queries (inspections attendance, training of the crew etc.)
Could you please presents the key benefits of Ocean Guard BWMS? Are these benefits obvious to the world’s shipowning companies? Do you receive positive feedback from them?
The best advertisement for ‘Headway Technology’ is the feedback that we receive from customers that had already installed this system in their New Building vessels years ago and now, after being satisfied with its performance, the same customers wish to install Headway’s systems for Retrofitting also.
Headway’s reference list includes the biggest and most reputable companies worldwide!
The key benefits of Headway BWMS Technology are as follows:
• Headway is approved by the USCG
• Low power consumption – for instance, for a system of 1,000m³ pump capacity the consumption is 15kKW
• 0.85 salinity of water – this required low salinity of water enable Headway’s system to operate in almost all seas, near rivers etc. without using extra tank to store seawater for mixing to increase the salinity. In addition, if vessels are to trade in 100% suite water like lakes, then the seawater than needs to be added is very small.
• Small footprint – the size of the system is the smallest of its kind so it makes it suitable for retrofitting in vessel with limited space
• Low operation TRO level – TRO operation level of only 2 ppm which is the lowest among all chemical treatment BWMS. TRO concentration at this low level causes no corrosion to pipelines and there is no need to make any special preparations for the pipelines during the system installation.
• Low OPEX cost per year
• Delivery time is the fastest in the market – Headway now has 2 big factories and has maximized its production line
As we are close to 2020, what are - in your opinion - the issues shipping is going to deal with as the most global in nature industry?
Even though Ballast Water Management System was extensively discussed in the previous questions, the systems installations are not an issue nowadays as now is clear that no more extensions will be given and all vessels must have the system installed latest by vessel’s next special survey.
Recently, the hot topic in the global marine industry is the installation of DeSOₓ Scrubber systems.
With Sulphur Cap 2020 getting closer and closer, the debates among the shipping community on whether or not Scrubbers will be the solution are numerous.
Many Ship owners and Managers have not decided yet whether they will install Scrubber systems in their vessels; the investment is big and the growing contradictory opinions between the bunker fuel sector, IMO and Scrubber makers does not allow them to decide fast although the deadline is just around the corner.
There are a lot of questions still to be answered; price and availability of low sulfur MGO, quality of the low sulfur MGO, Open Loop or Close Loop, I-Type or U-Type systems?
This issue will continue to be the main topic in future discussions hoping that a satisfactory solution will be provided for all parties.
PSB & CO S.A. is widely known for its aptitude on building reliability and strong personal relationships with its wide range of customers and global associate network. How difficult is to maintain this high level support to shipping industry?
Being active in the shipping industry for 31 years we guarantee that we can achieve the best service for our customers.
Our extensive portfolio and volume of business is our most valuable asset, verifying the ‘strength in numbers’ dictum.
Acting as an agent, our job is to make sure that all parties of a deal are satisfied and happy with the outcome; this is not always easy especially when conflicting interest are involved.
Our goal is to build long term relationships with both our customers and principals and make sure that PSB & CO. S.A. will continue to thrive in the future.
Strong personal relationships are vital important and we are proud that through the years we have successfully built solid collaborations and friendships in the marine industry which are based on mutual honesty, respect, reliability and professionalism.
One of your moto is that “we strive to provide excellence and the highest level of services to our customers by continually horizon-broadening our knowledge and expertise”. How this moto comes true in reality?
The competition in the marine industry is well known and in order a company to establish its name in the market it must never rest. It must grow continuously and wide-broadening its character in terms of quality, expertise and knowledge.
In order to make all aforementioned goals come to reality we make sure that PSB team is working under the same ethics and share the same passion and vision. We travel all around the world and we regularly visit our principals securing that our business relationships are getting stronger each day.
In addition we keep expanding our suppliers and affiliate service companies list; this allow us to be able to cover all our customers’ needs in various parts of the world, even the most remote ones.
Finally, PSB is participating in many events, exhibitions and conventions as we always want to be up-to-dated with the global shipping news.
*Managing Director, PSB& CO. SA