In February 2019, MED certification approval was withdrawn for certain Tecnicomar sewage treatment plant products (notification provided by MCA Safety Bulletin 14), a full list of which is provided in Annex 1.
An evaluation of risk assessment of the equipment has concluded that the impacted models have the potential to pose a risk to the marine environment, meaning that corrective action must be taken by the manufacturer (Tecnicomar S.p.A.) in order for the equipment to remain in use and not be removed from vessels. In response to the withdrawal of certification, Tecnicomar S.p.A. has gained certification from DNV-GL, on behalf of the Norwegian Administration, for an new range of equipment (ECOMAR-S range) and is currently seeking certification of an upgrade kit which would enable the impacted models to regain certification.
As the listed equipment remains uncertified, vessels that have the equipment onboard risk being unable to renew their Sewage Pollution Prevention Certification when their existing certificate expires. To maintain the validity of certification, shipowners and operators must liaise with their MCA Customer Service Manager (CSM) and Tecnicomar S.p.A. to agree and arrange for the replacement or upgrade of the non-compliant equipment.
Source: MCA.