The situation, the DNV practise and the way forward
Since 1 January 2011 the incinerator capacity to be given on the IOPP certificate has been an issue of discussion among PSC, class societies and others. This newsletter tries to describe the situation, the DNV practise and the way forward.
The 2006 MARPOL consolidated version, MARPOL Annex I, Appendix II, describes the form of the IOPP Certificate and Supplements. Under section 3.2.1 of both Form A (Ships other than Oil Tankers) and Form B (Oil Tankers), the incinerator capacity is stated in l/h.
However, Resolution MEPC.187(59), annex 2, which entered into force on 1 January 2011, introduced amendments to the Supplement in which heat units are the measure of incinerator capacity in kW or kcal/h.
Resolution MEPC.76(40) on the Standard Specification for Shipboard Incinerators stipulates that kW, kcal/h or kg/h should be recorded on the incinerator type approval certificate. This applies to the certificate for incinerators type approved after September 1997.
DNV is now experiencing that the use of different units of measurement in the above mentioned regulation and resolutions is causing confusion among crews, Port State Control Officers and Recognized Organizations.
DNV has recently noted that Port State Control officers are relying on the MEPC.187(59) and demanding that kW or kcal/h is the only option for recording incinerator capacity.
Converting capacity values from kg/h or l/h to kW or kcal/h depends on the calorific value of the oil residues (sludge) used during the type testing. In the absence of required data from the equipment manufacturer the conversion will not be accurate and therefore the DNV surveyor should refrain from doing such conversion.
DNV believes it is acceptable to record incinerator capacity on Form A (Ships other than Oil Tankers) and Form B (Oil Tankers) either in volumetric terms (l/h) or as a unit of heat (kW or kcal/h) or weight (kg/h)measurement.
DNV has presently four options in our Form A and Form B, where either l/h, kg/h, kW or kcal/h can be used for the capacity. The figure used is taken from the incinerator’s type approval certificate and most often for older incinerators, this is given in l/h. If values are available in kW or kcal/h, these should be used.
Hence, for vessels where the incinerator capacity is given in measures other than kW or kcal/h, there is no easy solution to change the value in the Supplement to the IOPP Certificate.
The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has agreed to raise this matter at the next MEPC meeting (in the end of February 2012) with the aim to obtain a common IMO interpretation of the issue.
Source: DNV