Tag: ABS

Development of in-house green ship designs by class societies risks creating conflict of interest ABS President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher J. Wiernicki has warned that a move into ship design by some class societies creates a fundamental conflict of interest with their role as independent providers of safety approval and certification.Wiernicki used his keynote address at the Houston Mare Forum USA conference to question the rationale of some class societies in promoting energy-optimized designs created in-house, a development he described as 'deeply troubling'.Wiernicki said the issue went to the heart of the underlying principle for classification, yet he was surprised to have heard no other voices questioning the growing intrusion of class into an area of ethical quicksand."The bottom line is that, since the objectives of the designer and the class society are so fundamentally different, having class societies promote themselves as designers is dangerous," said Wiernicki. "It undermines the basic fabric of the industry, it destroys the credibility of class as an independent third party, it has the potential to lead to poor designs that could impact the credibility of the whole industry and it upsets the essential checks and balances between commercial pressures and effective safety and ...

ABS Guide for Ballast Water Treatment ABS announces the release of a new Guide for Ballast Water Treatment which will aid vessel owners and operators in preparing for compliance with the IMO's International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004.The Convention is designed to provide a unified instrument to prevent, minimize and ultimately eliminate the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms via ships' ballast water and sediments. As of 1 November 2011, 30 member States representing 26.44 percent of world merchant shipping tonnage had ratified the Convention against a required 30 States representing 35 percent of the world gross tonnage.Owners mindful that the Convention may enter into force during the first half of 2013 are examining options for newbuilds and retrofits that will give them flexibility in terms of costs and operation, says Kirsi Tikka, ABS Chief Engineer and head of the society's environmental solutions efforts."The ballast water management regulations can be confusing for shipowners because they contain many unresolved and complex issues," Tikka adds. "As a result, some owners with newbuilds have elected to incorporate the installation of a ballast water treatment system, while others have chosen to have their vessel outfitted with the ...

Class Society Expands R&D Initiatives with New Energy Technology Center in Korea Leading classification society ABS is further strengthening its ties to the Korean maritime industry by establishing the ABS Korea Energy Technology Center (KETC) in Busan in early 2012. This is ABS' first energy center and will focus on applied research to a broad range of current and future technology challenges. In a related move, the society is creating the role of Vice President of Global Korean Technology Development.Dr. Hoseong Lee, a veteran of ABS and respected professional in the Korean maritime industry is being appointed to this new position. As part of his new responsibilities, Dr. Lee will provide guidance and oversight for the KETC. In combination, these strategic developments will better leverage the technology resources of ABS in servicing the Korean market and its clients across the globe.Under Dr. Lee's stewardship, the KETC will work in partnership with local universities, shipyards and other organizations to undertake research activities drawing upon the knowledge and experience of ABS engineering and survey staff worldwide. Priority areas for the center include offshore exploration and production technology, subsea applications, LNG technology, ship energy efficiency and renewable energy.Dr. Lee will also act as ...

Hyde Guardian was the first BWTS to receive product design assessment US-based Hyde Marine, a Calgon company, says that its Hyde Guardian ballast water treatment system (BWTS) has received type approval from ABS, adding to approvals from Lloyd's Register.The company says that its Hyde Guardian was the first BWTS to receive product design assessment (PDA) certification from the American Bureau of Shipping, in April 2010. PDA is the technical approval for equipment and is the first step in receiving ABS type approval.The system was type approved in 2009 by Lloyd's Register on behalf of the UK Maritime and Coast Guard Agency (MCA), confirming compliance with IMO Resolution MEPC.174 (58) Guidelines. Testing was conducted at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), in accordance with IMO G8 Guidelines. The BWTS uses automatic backflushing depth filtration to remove sediment and organisms, and UV disinfection to destroy or inactivate smaller organisms and bacteria. It is fully automated and can be integrated into the ship's ballast control system. It can be skid mounted for new construction or delivered in modules for fitting to existing vessels. Type approved models are available for ballast flow rates from 60 to 6,000 m3/h.John Platz, general manager, UV ...

This collection represents over 30 years of technical information A new CD 'Sustainability in the Maritime Industry' is now available from the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).This CD is a collection of relevant technical papers, focusing on logical solutions to the strict emission control and environmental regulations of the (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).Edited by SNAME members Rich Delpizzo (ABS' manager of government operations), Haifeng Wang (policy analyst, The International Council on Clean Transportation) and Andrew Panek (engineer, ABS Americas), the papers on the CD touch on the many different areas these new regulations impact, from emission control of ships operating in international waters, to environmental impacts in the shipyard.This collection represents over 30 years of technical information from various SNAME venues and contains both practical and theoretical knowledge on energy efficiency, sustainable design and environmental impact in marine design.Source: Tanker Operator

Providing dashboards with customized views to examine KPI 's ABS Nautical Systems announced the redesign and release of its suite of asset management software, NS5. Continually evolving to meet industry needs, NS5 Enterprise has a versatile design that allows all users - from senior management to crew members - 24/7 access to relevant data from their overall business landscape.While owners and senior management have the capability to retrieve the latest real-time information that drives their business, the status of their fleets, shipboard and shoreside users can reference this same data as it relates to their particular job functions.This new element provides dashboards with customized views to examine Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) including fleet-wide data for maintenance, supply chain, safety and personnel records. With access to the latest business intelligence data and the ability to drill down into vessel specifics, NS5 Enterprise serves as the backbone for improved planning decisions."Data that senior management normally request from managers regarding the status of their fleet is directly available to them anytime, anywhere," said Fernando Lehrer, Vice President of Product Development at ABS Nautical Systems. "In addition, crews can see how their job functions tie into the overall success of the company. These are ...

Tidal or solar powerc an deliver constant output 24 hours a day. Class society ABS has issued its first Approval in Principle (AIP) for a new concept renewable energy design in which a moored spar uses ammonia in a closed-cycle process to produce electrical power for a commercial utility grid. Unlike wind, tidal or solar power the advanced design for this Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system can deliver constant output 24 hours a day."This concept combines proven offshore principles with off-the-shelf power, technology and proprietary innovations, all assembled in a unique way," says Ian Simpson, ABS Director of Offshore Technology and Business Development, Americas Division. "The design application illustrates how ABS is able to use its novel concept approach and guidance to provide review of a concept within the framework of established safety standards."Developed by OTEC International (OTI) LLC of Baltimore, Maryland, the approach converts liquid ammonia into gas in a heat exchanger using warm ocean surface water. The ammonia gas then drives turbines that turn generators to produce electricity which is then exported through a submarine power cable to a land-based utility company. The ammonia is condensed back into a liquid phase using cold ocean water pumped from ...

Euronav uses the Hull Inspection module on 11 of its ABS classed tankers Leading tanker owner Euronav is to role out ABS Nautical Systems software on tankers controlled by Euronav Ship Management (Hellas).Euronav selected ABS Nautical Systems as its asset management provider in 2009 and was the first adopter of the Hull Inspection module, which is a browser-based tool that helps track the structural condition of a vessel throughout its service life.Euronav currently uses the Hull Inspection module on 11 of its ABS classed tankers. However, given its successful use of the program to date, the company plans to continue expanding use of the programme to additional vessels."Prior to implementing Hull Inspection, we used hard-copy forms that made it difficult to organise, assess and identify conditions. Now, we are able to see the actual drawings of the vessel with improved visibility of hot spots and critical areas, such as in a cargo tank," said Theodore Mavraidis, fleet technical manager, Euronav."Hull Inspection also enables us to systematically examine and grade the hull structure of each vessel - providing fleet-wide statistics and trends. ABS Nautical Systems' Hull Inspection module is a breakthrough in the area of hull condition monitoring," he said."With Euronav ...

Class Standards developed for High Voltage Systems The use of shoreside power, commonly called cold ironing, is becoming increasingly popular among ports and terminals seeking to reduce local air pollution emissions.While work to develop internationally-agreed standards for high voltage connections continues, leading class society ABS has released a Guide for High Voltage Shore Connection to address key safety concerns as well as design considerations for shipboard installations.Cold ironing will continue to grow in importance as more ports around the world install facilities to accommodate this alternative source of auxiliary power, says Yoshi Ozaki, ABS Director of Environmental Technology. The design criteria provided in this Guide will help to mitigate risk surrounding safety concerns related to the use of high voltage connections.Cold ironing is the practice of shutting down a vessels generators while in port and using shoreside power to supply electrical loads. The guidance from ABS fills the gap in the absence of universally adopted standards for high voltage connections. Current class Rules address low voltage shore connections which are typically 450V. The new ABS Guide addresses connections of 6.6 kV or 11 kV.Cold ironing using high voltage brings with it a variety of unique safety considerations. One of the ...

A new generation of executives A sweeping series of management appointments at ABS, effective 1 July, will position a new generation of executives who will help define the role and scope of class in the future. These moves closely follow the appointment of Christopher J. Wiernicki as the new Chief Executive Officer.The appointments, in concert with the recent naming of Todd Grove as Chief Technology Officer, John McDonald as President and COO for ABS Europe Division and Demetri Stroubakis as Senior Vice President of Global Operations for the Nautical Systems Division will result in new senior management in all five divisions, as well as Technology and Engineering services."Without question, ABS is a different organization today than it was twenty years ago," noted Wiernicki. "While the role of class has always been evolving, the pace of change is accelerating and we need to ensure that ABS is defining the role of the class society of the future and not merely reacting to this new environment.Today's playing field is being framed by regulatory initiatives, new technologies and customers who want their preferred class society to be better integrated within their operational and safety programs. ABS has to be positioned to effectively and ...