Tag: IMO

57th Session 18 - 22 March 2013 The IMO's Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE) held its 57th session from Monday 18 through Friday 22 March 2013 under the Chairmanship of Mrs A Jost (GERMANY). Three working groups (WG) and two drafting groups (DG) were formed:WG1 Development of a Mandatory Code for ships operating in Polar waters, chaired by Mrs J Stemre (NORWAY)WG2 Development of a new framework of requirement for life-saving appliances, chaired by Dr S Ota (JAPAN)WG3 Development of requirements for on-board lifting appliances and winches, chaired by Mr R Lakeman (NL)DG1 Provisions for reduction of noise from commercial shipping and its adverse impact on marine life, chaired by Mrs C Phillips (USA)DG2 Classification of offshore-industry vessels and consideration of the need for a non-mandatory code for offshore construction support vessels, chaired by Mr P Wilkins (UK)It should be noted that the sub-committee did not complete its large agenda, possibly an unintended consequence of IMO Council's recent cost-savings decision to decrease the limit of sub-committee interpreter sessions from 10 to 8 such that Plenary did not sit at all on Thursday 21 March. Member States (understandably), declined to meet without Interpretation, thus effectively wasting a day. However, ...

List of Recognized Test Laboratories relating to the FTP Code

Adopted at Ministerial meeting IMO has pledged its support to assist in the implementation of a new Code of Conduct concerning the prevention and repression of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in west and central Africa, which has been adopted at a Ministerial meeting in Cotonou, Benin.The Code is expected to be opened for signature at the meeting of the Heads of State and Government of Central and West African States, expected to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in May 2013. Welcoming the adoption of the Code, IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu said that IMO was ready to support the countries in the region in its implementation."IMO has been working for a number of years with international development partners on a number of activities aimed at enhancing the ability of individual States in the region, and the wider sub-region, to build a sustainable maritime capacity and we look forward to continuing to work with them to support the implementation of this Code and to work together to repress piracy, armed robbery against ships and other illicit maritime activity off the coasts of west and central Africa," Mr. Sekimizu said. "We look forward to continuing to work with ...

Global Initiative for oil spill preparedness and response capabilities

IMO: Call to halve sea deaths

From 26 February to 1 March, 2013 The Expert Workshop on the update of GHG emissions estimate for international shipping (Update-EW) took place at IMO from 26 February to 1 March 2013 under the chairmanship of Mr Andreas Chrysostomou (CYPRUS) who also chairs the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). 28 Member Governments and 18 Observer Organisations were represented by over 100 participants in total, which included an InterManager contingent of the Secretary General, Captain Karkhanis (Videotel) and the Permrep.Having adopted an agenda, the first 2 days of the workshop were devoted to a series of presentations as follows, also discussions designed to nurture agreement on how the Update Study should be undertaken in order to make recommendations to MEPC :Following is a synopsis of the meeting and its outcome :PROPOSED UPDATE OF GHG EMISSIONS ESTIMATE (MEPC 64/5/5) The Expert Workshop (EW) noted that the 2009 GHG Study does not take into account the economic downtown experienced globally since 2008 and that reliable up to date information on which to base future decisions is needed. It was recognised that document MEPC 64/5/5 provides details on three main aspects, viz work distribution, methodological aspects and which G HG emissions to include.Sea transport ...

IMO SLF 55 Outcome The IMO's Sub-committee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF) at its latest meeting (SLF 55) last week reviewed and finalised the draft Guidelines for the verification of damage stability requirements.The Sub-committee had, at its last meeting in January 2012, also developed draft amendments to mandatory instruments. These amendments to MARPOL Annex I, IBC, BCH, GC and IGC Codes as well as the Guidelines under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) were also reviewed and finalised at this meeting.The guidelines may be accessed here and amendments here.In addition to the review and finalisation of the Guidelines and the amendments to the instruments, the application of amendments to mandatory instruments was debated (procedures for preparation and approval of tanker damage stability calculations, instructions for operation and demonstration of damage stability compliance - mandatory stability instruments for ships to which MARPOL Annex I, IBC and IGC Codes apply).In this regard, the Sub-committee deliberated on whether compliance for existing ships should be aligned with the intermediate survey or the renewal survey schedule.Led by INTERTANKO, the Sub-committee agreed that the application of the amendments to existing ships should be in line with the first ...

International experts are meeting at IMO Headquarters this week, in the form of an Expert Workshop, to begin work on updating the inventory of greenhouse gases (GHG) from international shipping, with a view to providing reliable and up-to-date information on which IMO, through its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), might base its work on further measures to reduce GHG.The Second IMO GHG Study 2009 estimated that international shipping emitted 870 million tonnes, or about 2.7% of the global man-made emissions of CO2 in 2007. An updated GHG inventory is considered necessary as the current estimate contained in the Second study does not take account of the economic downturn experienced globally since 2008. Exhaust gases are the primary source of GHG emissions from ships, with carbon dioxide the most important GHG, both in terms of quantity and of global warming potential. An updated inventory would also provide a baseline to enable the impact to be assessed of technical and operational energy efficiency measures for international shipping that entered into force on 1 January 2013.The MEPC, at its sixty-fourth session in October 2012 endorsed, in principle, the outline for an update of the GHG emissions estimate. The Expert Workshop, meeting from 26 ...

MARPOL and VIMSAS top discussions at Caribbean meeting

17th session, 4 to 8 February 2013 Revised IGC Code agreed by Sub-Committee The draft revised International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (the IGC Code) was agreed by the Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG) when it met for its 17th session.The revised Code has been developed following a comprehensive five-year review and is intended to take into account the latest advances in science and technology. It will be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 92) in June, for approval, with a view to adoption at MSC 93 in 2014.The IGC Code was first adopted in 1983, to provide an international standard for the safe carriage by sea of liquefied gases (and other substances listed in the Code) in bulk, by prescribing the design and construction standards of ships carrying such cargoes, and the equipment they should carry. The IGC Code was made mandatory under the SOLAS convention for new ships built after 1986. Various amendments have been adopted since then, but the new draft represents the first major revision of the IGC Code. Provisions of the revised IGC Code will apply to new ships, unless expressly stated otherwise.Parallel work ...