Classnk News

This week at Maritime Reporter...The importance of safety on ro-ro vessels comes under the spotlight.The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch released its report into the engine room fire on board the ro-ro Stena Europe and concluded that the ship’s crew were insufficiently trained to inspect engine fuel systems and the temperature measuring equipment used by the crew to monitor the engine exhaust insulation did not effectively identify any hot spots.The Maritime and Coastguard…

ClassNK has released guidance to assist in the safe evacuation of crew members from vehicle carriers in the event of a cargo hold fire. Additionally, the world’s first notation, AMEVC(EV), has been established to indicate vessels equipped with additional measures to facilitate safe evacuation.Vehicle carriers often have accommodation areas and life-saving equipment, such as lifeboats and liferafts, positioned above cargo holds, with ventilation ducts for the holds located close to the accommodation spaces.

Japan-based Penta-Ocean Construction has signed a shipbuilding contract with PaxOcean Group for the construction of a self-propelled large-scale cable laying vessel (CLV), expanding its capabilities from offshore wind turbine construction to power cable laying for the industry.The new CLV will be self-propelled, mounted with two 5,000 t cable carousels (a total of 10,000 t) also known as cable storage, enabling safe and efficient cable laying in the open sea with severe metocean conditions.Equipped with a latest trencher (for burying cables) and work class ROV…

NYK has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the design concept of a cable-laying vessel for the construction of a long-distance subsea DC transmission network in Japan.Since suitable locations for wind-power generation, such as Hokkaido, are far from areas of major electricity demand, developing a power transmission network is crucial to increasing the amount of renewable electricity generated in Japan in the future.As part of a four-company consortium with Sumitomo Electric Industries, Furukawa Electric and Mitsui O.S.K.

ClassNK has launched a third-party product certification service for individual green steel products.Under the service, ClassNK certifies each green steel product supplied by steel manufacturers using the mass balance approach, and affixes a certification logo to its mill certificate. By improving reliability and making identification easier, the service ensures that users feel more secure when ordering and using green steel.ClassNK has supported decarbonization efforts related…

ClassNK awards the first-ever notation for installing a Hydroponic Vegetable Grower for Ship to improve seafarers’ living conditions to Tokei Kaiun’s bulk carrier Royal Laurel.ClassNK granted its ‘ELW (HP)’ (Excellent Living and Working Environment (Hydroponics)) notation to the ship, and the system is expected to help improve working conditions that exceed the regulations set by the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC, 2006). ClassNK has established a scheme to indicate on a class…

ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for Autonomous Navigation Assistance System ‘SAS’ developed by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).Samsung Autonomous Navigation Assistance System (SAS) is partially Autonomous Navigation System (ANS) including the functions of situational awareness through sensor fusion and electronic navigational chart information, collision and grounding risk assessment, collision and grounding avoidance.ClassNK is involved in various demonstration projects and continuously works to develop necessary safety standards…

The shipping industry is looking into ammonia as an alternative fuel for powering ships, amid other ongoing plans to cut carbon emissions and achieve net-zero by 2050.Here is a list of companies with ammonia-fuelled ship projects:NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA (NYK)NYK, with IHI Power Systems and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), completed the world's first ammonia-fuelled tugboat, Sakigake, on Aug. 23. The vessel will operate in Tokyo Bay for three months.NYK is also building the world's first ammonia-fuelled medium gas carrier…

ClassNK has granted the class notation ‘a-EA (GRS)’ to Bright Queen, the bulk carrier operated by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, certifying the use of green steel in its construction.This is the world’s first case of a notation being affixed for using green steel in a ship.For Bright Queen, built by Higaki Shipbuilding, ClassNK confirmed the use of JFE Steel Corporation’s green steel JGreeX, for which it had previously conducted third-party certification of the GHG emissions reductions made in the manufacturing process.For each JGreeX™ product…

ClassNK granted its ‘AFVC(FD)(EV)’*1 notation to Positive Challenger, a car carrier operated by Eastern Car Liner Ltd., and managed by ECL Shipmanagement Limited, for vessels equipped with additional firefighting measures for transporting electric vehicles (EVs).Shipping companies are implementing various measures to address EV fires, which raise concerns due to difficulties in extinguishing and the risk of re-ignition. To support these efforts, ClassNK has issued the ‘Guidelines…

NYK and TB Global Technologies Ltd. (TBG) received a certificate for approval in principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for the ship-to-ship supply of fuel ammonia. The AIP was conferred last week at Gastech in Houston.The most distinctive feature of the boom is a TBG-developed emergency-release system that allows the connection between an ammonia-fueled vessel and an ammonia bunkering vessel (ABV) to be disconnected instantly in an emergency.In acquiring the AiP, NYK provided design data for its in-house developed ABV.

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) have issued approvals in principle (AiPs) for two types of low-pressure type liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carriers developed jointly by Japan’s industry majors.The LCO2 carriers have been developed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” LINE), Nihon Shipyard, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), Mitsui & Co, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.The two LCO2 carriers that received AiP certifications are low-pressure type 50…

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsement for Products and Solutions to monitoring service for ocean vessel motors, V-MO, developed by Asahi Kasei Engineering Corporation.ClassNK has confirmed that the DSS notations (MM, CNS, SM), which indicate ships with advanced digital technology, can be applied to ClassNK-registered vessels equipped with the product.Short for Vessel Vibration Visualization Monitor, the V-MO offers condition monitoring service optimized for marine motors.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has been granted certification for its voluntary efforts to improve fire prevention on the car carrier Cerulean Ace.The LNG-fueled vessel is operated by MOL and managed by MOL Ship Management. It has been granted certification for "Additional Fire-Fighting measures for Vehicle Carrier (AFVC)" by ClassNK for measures that prevent onboard fires during the transport of electric vehicles (EV).This is a world first for a shipping company's voluntary measures…

ClassNK has published industry-first estimated leak frequencies for ammonia fuel from onboard components for ammonia-fueled ships. For new ammonia-fueled ship designs, risk assessments involve the consideration of the probability of ammonia leak from each component. However, statistical data of onboard ammonia leak have been extremely limited, making probability estimation difficult.ClassNK, in collaboration with the Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability (RISS)…

ClassNK has classed the ammonia-fueled tugboat ‘Sakigake’ completed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd. as an ammonia-fueled vessel. This is the world's first ammonia-fueled vessel for commercial use (as of August 23, 2024, according to research by NYK). The NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha will employ the vessel in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay over a three-month demonstration period.This vessel was a Green Innovation Fund Project initiated…

NYK’s ammonia-fueled tugboat Sakigake is commencing operation in Tokyo Bay.The vessel was the subject of a conversion project undertaken by NYK and IHI Power Systems, in cooperation with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), and will be the world's first ammonia-fueled tugboat in commercial use.It is undertaking a three-month demonstration for NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha.The vessel’s predecessor, the LNG-fueled tugboat of the same name, was completed in August 2015 as the first LNG-fueled vessel in Japan.

The world’s first accreditation* for “Machinery Room Safety for Ammonia” (MRS) will be granted by ClassNK for the ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier (AFMGC) currently being developed by a consortium that includes Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. (NSY). MRS is Class notation demonstrating a ship is equipped with excellent ammonia safety measures for the machinery room. MRS also confirms the vessel meets the highest safety measures under the guidelines for ammonia-fueled ships.Ship Type: 40,000-cu.-m.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has been awarded an approval in principle (AiP) by ClassNK for the design of a membrane LNG Carrier with Wind Challenger wind-assisted propulsion system.The AiP marks the world's first approval for an LNG carrier with a wind-assisted propulsion system, according to MOL, which developed the design of the system together with Hanwha Ocean.The LNG carrier that has obtained this AiP is capable of entering LNG terminals worldwide. It boasts cargo tank capacity of 174…

A bunkering boom jointly developed by NYK and TB Global Technologies (TBG) for the ship-to-ship supply of fuel ammonia received Approval in Principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK).NYK says the development will significantly enhance the safety of supplying ships with ammonia, which is highly toxic, by employing TBG's technology to ensure the liquid does not leak.The most distinctive feature of the boom is its emergency-release system that allows the connection between an ammonia-fueled vessel and an ammonia bunkering vessel to be disconnected instantly in an emergency.

ClassNK has released ‘Guidelines for Cyber resilience of ships’, which expound new IACS Unified Requirements (UR) to support the consideration of measures to ensure the cybersecurity of ships.IACS has established UR E26 for ships and UR E27 for on-board systems and equipment as URs setting minimum requirements for cyber resilience, which is the capability to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the effects of cyber incidents due to cyber-attacks or other threats. The URs have been applied to new ships contracted for construction on or after July 1…

ITOCHU Corporation, ClassNK, Nihon Shipyard and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a joint study for the design and safety specifications of ammonia-fueled ships which are under development by ITOCHU and partners.The MoU is based on the premise that 200,000 deadweight ton class bulk carriers will be built by Nihon Shipyard with an ammonia dual-fueled engine by applying alternative design approval process in accordance…

ClassNK has granted its Innovation endorsement for products and solutions to a Ship IoT Application ‘i-MITEC’, developed by MIURA.‘i-MITEC’ uses a cloud-based environment to provide a range of services, collecting and storing operation data from equipment such as marine boilers and ballast water management systems that are fitted with communication functionality.The stored data can be used in combination with analysis by MIURA field engineers to provide suggestions for effective operational methods such as preventing trouble.