Tag: IACS

  ABS welcomed IMO's formal adoption of the remaining parts of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code). According to ABS Shared Technology Director James Bond, an active participant on the IMO group tasked with establishing new requirements, the Polar Code is essential for industry. "The formal adoption of the Polar Code is a powerful step forward toward safe and sustainable Polar activities," he says, noting that this milestone is the result of more than two decades of work led by the IMO to promote safety and reduce maritime environmental pollution in Arctic and Antarctic waters. The Polar Code, formally adopted on 15 May 2015 at the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in London, covers a broad spectrum of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection measures. It is the first mandatory IMO instrument to formally introduce the notion of ice classes and sets a new precedent for the certification and approval of onboard equipment and safety systems exposed to low air temperatures and ice accretion. Entry-into-force is set for 1 January 2017. The Polar Code will require ships operating in Polar waters to have a Polar Ship Certificate that states operational ...

The IRS has submitted goal-based new ship construction standards for verification audit by the IMO

  The world's first green-ship equipment certification centre opened for business in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, Korea. The Korean Register - an IACS member class society - is a founding partner in this ground-breaking project. Costing a total of 30bn won (USD 29.4m), the new centre will test, evaluate and certify green-ship equipment. Fully supported by Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the centre will also carry out joint R & D projects focusing on green-ship technology, expand Korea's test and certification business and attract related businesses to the area. The centre was created in response to IMO's greenhouse gas emissions reduction and maritime pollution regulations and will enable KR and its partners to lead the way in certifying essential green-ship components, including engines. "This centre was created to provide our clients with holistic services covering technical consulting, engineering and certification. We are delighted to be the world's first centre to offer a one-stop service for testing and certifying green-ship components and machinery in a single location," said Dr. B. S. Park, Chairman & CEO of KR. "Our centre is equipped with the required high-quality facilities and technology for test, evaluation and certification. As a rule provider, KR not only delivers accurate ...

KR announces that it has released a writable version of its KR-CON software

IRClass has recently completed the survey and certification of Greatship Ramya'

  Korean Register (KR) - an IACS member classification society – announces that it has been accepted by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) as an Independent Laboratory (IL) to undertake tests, inspections, and evaluations for Ballast Water Management Systems. KR has been accepted by the USCG, as an Independent Laboratory, to type approve ballast water management systems in accordance with the US Code of Federal Regulation. The society is the first in Asia and the second in the world (outside US) to gain this authorization. To prevent the introduction and spread of non-indigenous species contained in ships’ ballast water, IMO has developed the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) which will become effective as soon as it has been ratified by the required number of states.   Notwithstanding IMO’s BWMC, vessels wanting to operate in US territorial waters must be fitted with BWM systems that are USCG type approved in accordance with their implementation schedule. The USCG is well known for insisting on stricter test standards which give a greater confidence on the reliability of BWMS. This particular approval requires a high level of ability within the IL and involves the passing of at least five valid and successful test ...

IRClass has set up a senior level advisory committee in the United Arab Emirates

Final report issued in Japan by the CLCSS The International Association of Classifications Societies (IACS) has received the final report issued in Japan by the Committee on Large Container Ship Safety (CLCSS), which concludes that the "MOL COMFORT" break up possibly occurred because the sea loads exceeded the hull girder ultimate strength at the time of the casualty.IACS will carefully study the report as well as the recommendations formulated in the document, and will make public the results of this examination.As a matter of fact, IACS had launched at the beginning of 2014 an expert group on structural safety of container ships, which carried out a post "MOL Comfort" review, also taking into account a number of past casualties.This work has resulted in the development of two new IACS Unified Requirements (UR's)UR S11A which is a longitudinal strength standard for ContainershipsURS 34 dealing with functional requirements for direct analysis by Finite Element Method of Container ships, including a set of loading conditions.It is worthwhile commenting that this ongoing work had already taken into account the CLCSS recommendations:these UR's do take into account the effect of lateral loads on bi-axial buckling of stiffened panels (a phenomenon preceding loss of ultimate strength ...

Harmonized CSR for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers enforcement effective July 1st, 2015 Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has advised of harmonized CSR for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers enforcement on 1 July 2015, which will supersede the current Common Structural Rules for Double Hull Oil Tankers and Common Structural Rules for Bulk Carriers (Part XVIII and Part XIX of RS Rules for the Classification and Construction of Sea-Going Ships).The harmonized Rules will be inalterably included in the normative documents of all IACS members.The requirements of the new Rules will cover bulk carriers of unrestricted service, single or double hull, 90 m in length and upwards and double-hull oil tankers of unrestricted service, 150 m in length and upwards. The text of the Rules can be found by clicking hereTraditionally, IACS documents are so developed that the Technical Background Rule Reference is an indispensible part of the Rules. The Reference contains comments practically on every paragraph of the developed requirements, explains the essence of the requirement, quotes its source (IACS Unified Requirement, statutory requirement, requirement of a particular Classification Society, etc.).For the most essential requirements, Technical Background Reports are issued as separate documents forming an indispensible part of the ...

Version February 2015 includes data for the international shipping The International Association of Classification Societies is pleased to announce the release of the IACS Blue Book, Version January 2015.The Blue Book is an electronic library of technical resolutions (both past and present) adopted by IACS as a result of its technical work and provides an example of how the aims and objectives of the Association are delivered for the benefit of international shipping.ACS Blue Book contains:IACS "Unified Requirements" which IACS members incorporate into their Rules"Unified Interpretations" of IMO convention requirements which IACS Members apply uniformly when acting on behalf of authorizing flag Administrations, unless instructed otherwise"Procedural Requirements" governing practices among IACS Members"IACS Charter" and "IACS Procedures" which define the purpose, aim and working procedures of the Association"Recommendations" relating to adopted resolutions that are not necessarily matters of Class but which IACS considers would be helpful to offer some advice to the marine industry"UR - Unified Requirements Status" advising on implementation statusHF & TB for UR, UI, PR & Rec. containing the History and Technical Background files for the Unified Requirements, Unified Interpretations, Procedural Requirements and Recommendations"Quality Documents" containing QSCS (IACS' Quality System Certification Scheme) description, Quality Management System Requirements, Audit ...