Asahi Tanker and partner Exeno-Yamamizu Corporation Tokyo have developed the new domestic shipping tanker design which incorporates zero emission electric propulsion. The commercial model development of the ‘e5’ design is currently ongoing for all bunker supply vessels that are trading in Tokyo Bay. The target of the first vessel launching is planned for the fourth quarter of 2020.
On December 25, 2018, classification society ClassNK announced a partial revision of ‘Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships’ in order to upgrade the rules to include the latest developments and requirements of the shipping industry.
Japanese classification society ClassNK announced the signing of a partnership agreement with German service provider TÜV Rheinland to collaborate in jointly developing and delivering a cyber security certification scheme for the maritime industry, in order to further ensure the safety of vessels.
ClassNK released the ‘ClassNK MRV Portal IMO DCS’, a software for reporting, monitoring and verifying shipping CO2 emissions according to the IMO DCS regulations that will come into effect in 2019. ClassNK MRV Portal was first released in 2017 and has now been updated to support IMO DCS compliance.
ClassNK found that installation deadlines based on the Ballast Water Management Convention for many ships are highly concentrated in the year 2022. ClassNK added that difficulties are expected in the installation of BWMS if everyone around the world waits until 2022, so it recommends installing early.
As part of its efforts to continue building and further reinforcing its presence in the key German market, Japanese classification society ClassNK announced the return of a ClassNK executive, who played a major part in the fourfold increase in the society’s German market share, to the Hamburg survey office as General Manager.
ClassNK announced release of the second edition of its Guidelines for Liquefied Gas Carrier Structures – Independent Prismatic Tanks, specifying the technical requirements related to the structural strength assessments of liquefied gas carriers by using direct calculation.
Following release of its PSC annual report in June, ClassNK underlined a frequency in deficiencies related to defects with quick closing valves for fuel oil tanks. In most cases, quick closing valves were inoperative due to seizing of the quick closing valves, air leakage and others caused by a failure in proper onboard maintenance.
NAPA, Danelec Marine, ClassNK, and Inmarsat debated the Internet of Things’ potential to reshape the maritime industry. The four parties noted that IoT has already benefited the shipping industry greatly. However, many are still lagging behind digitalization, with costs and lack of IoT skill being the main obstacles.
ClassNK issued its PSC annual report, revealing 426 reported PSC detentions relating to 383 ships from January to December 2017. The number of ships detained represents about 4.5 % of the total number of ships in the NK fleet. Detention ratio of the NK fleet in 2017 is about 5.0%.
