An arbitral award recently rendered has fully dismissed OceanSaver AS’, Norway, claim for compensation against Bollfilter Nordic ApS, Denmark. In 2013, OceanSaver AS initiated an arbitration case in Denmark against Bollfilter Nordic ApS, claiming that Bollfilter Nordic ApS had delivered defective filtration machines with wire mesh filters to OceanSaver AS in 2010/2011.
The filtration machines, developed and manufactured by German Boll & Kirch Filterbau GmbH, were included in OceanSaver AS’ ballast water treatment system sold by OceanSaver to ship yards in South Korea and China. Following installation, the filtration machines did not function properly, and OceanSaver AS claimed that this owed to defects in the filters, and that Bollfilter Nordic ApS had acted with gross negligence. Bollfilter Nordic ApS, on the other hand, consistently claimed that the filtration machines had been thoroughly tested and were fully functional, and that the problems encountered were attributable to other factors, including inadequate piping on board the vessels.
BOLL automatic filters for ballast water stand for first class quality
After 4 years the arbitral tribunal decided in favour of Bollfilter Nordic ApS. Based on the evidence, the tribunal dismissed OceanSaver A/S’ claim in its entirety, and OceanSaver AS was ordered to pay all arbitration costs and Bollfilter Nordic ApS’ legal costs. ”The filtration machines manufactured by Boll & Kirch Filterbau GmbH are successfully installed in hundreds of ships around the world, and we never doubted that we would win the arbitration case. Our automatic filters for ballast water stand for first class quality”, Robert Jellinggaard, CEO of Bollfilter Nordic ApS says, before adding: ”We are very happy that this dispute has finally come to an end, and we are looking forward to again spending all of our time and energy on working with our many customers rather than in a courtroom.”
