Tag: IMO

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 ...

IMO Sub-Committee Agrees IGC Revision

BLG 17 Outcome IMO member states this week agreed on a proposal to undertake a trial period for port state control sampling and analysis once the International Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) has entered into force.Acknowledging that there remains a great deal of uncertainty about the methods used to sample ballast water and the real concerns of the industry as expressed in INTERTANKO's paper to the IMO last year, the IMO's Sub-Committee for Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG 17) has set out a procedure for port states to trial sampling techniques. Importantly, during this trial period port state control (PSC) will refrain from initiating criminal sanctions or detaining the vessel should the sampling show that the discharged ballast water does not meet the standards in the BWMC.The issue was brought about originally at the previous BLG meeting held in early 2012 when concerns were aired by the industry that the methods for sampling and analysis being proposed for use by PSC were actually more stringent than those being used to test the ballast water management systems (BWMS) during Type Approval. In the submission to the IMO's MEPC 64 in October 2012, INTERTANKO and its co-sponsors expanded on the concern explaining ...

High Commissioner presents credentials to IMO

Italy s Casualty Report Still Overdue

The Board of Directors of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) - the principal international trade association for shipowners, representing all sectors and trades and over 80% of the world merchant fleet - met in London on February 5, 2013.Issues considered by ICS members included:frustration with the failure of Italy to submit a full maritime casualty report to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) following the 'Costa Concordia' cruise ship tragedy which occurred over a year ago; the continuing discussions at IMO and elsewhere on the best means of achieving further carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction from ships; and serious concerns that the IMO Convention on Ship Recycling, adopted to improve standards throughout the world's ship recycling yards, is in danger of being undermined by regional measures being discussed by the European Union. ICS Commits to CO2 MRVThe ICS Board reviewed recent developments with respect to the international regulation of CO2 emissions from ships. This included proposals by the United States and the European Commission, and others, concerning the establishment of a mandatory system of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of emissions (known as 'MRV').ICS Chairman, Masamichi Morooka, explained: "Our meeting agreed that ICS will fully support the concept of MRV, provided ...

IMO Secretary- General visits IMSO

Danish special requirement becomes international

Shipowners reject interference

Guide for cold water survival