NAPA’s Passenger Ship Stability Management Tool Gains DNV Type Approval

July 11, 2022

The next generation of stability management, NAPA Stability, helps ship owners and operators proactively monitor and approach stability, from planning loading conditions to the real-time monitoring of tanks. (Image: NAPA)

Classification society DNV has awarded type approval to NAPA’s new onboard stability software for the passenger sector – NAPA Stability, a new onboard stability solution that will replace NAPA Loading Computer, the stability management solution for passenger ships.

This type approval establishes that the software meets DNV’s requirements for the assessment of ship stability in both intact and damaged conditions, and the relevant IACS requirements to enable Safe Return to Port (IACS UR L5 Type 4 requirements), as well as requirements for DNV’s class notation Loading Computer System (Damage Control), LCS(DC). The approval also means that deliveries of NAPA Stability will now only require ship-specific approval, creating a lighter and cheaper approval process for users who adopt the solution.

Esa Henttinen, Executive Vice President, Safety Solutions at NAPA, said, “Cloud-based safety solutions are a gigantic leap forward for stability management, enabling a more proactive approach to safety, and shared situational awareness. The maritime industry is rapidly adopting digital solutions, and vessels are more connected than ever, producing massive amounts of new data and insights that we never had before.

“Building on the legacy of NAPA Loading Computer, NAPA Stability helps ship owners and operators maximize the value of this data and take a proactive approach to stability, where operations are optimized for every nautical mile and safety risks are monitored and assessed constantly, not just in the case of an emergency. The DNV approval will now make it easier and cheaper for users to upgrade to NAPA Stability or adopt it as a new solution.”

“Utilizing innovative digital tools and increasing the ability of owners and operators to tap into and easily share vessel data, is a vital part of boosting safety and sustainability in the maritime industry,” says Inge Seglem, Head of Section, Stability, Load Line & Tonnage at DNV – Maritime. “Having DNV class type approval builds market confidence and enables our customers to demonstrate that their systems have been assessed to the industry’s leading technical standards. We would like to congratulate NAPA on this type approval and look forward to continuing the excellent cooperation going forward.”

Based on NAPA’s accurate 3D modelling that takes into account every ship’s unique design mathematics, NAPA Stability covers a wide range of calculations related to hydrostatics, intact stability, damage stability, and longitudinal strength – allowing users to meet current rules and stay one step ahead of future regulations. As a cloud-based solution, it gives shoreside teams and crew a much clearer picture of their current loading condition in order to assess risks on an ongoing basis, and allows much faster collaboration and communication of vital information with third-party emergency response services when necessary.

It also has a modern, informative and intuitive graphical user interface developed with high levels of user input. NAPA Stability is built from the ground up to be cyber secure, meeting current and future standards on cyber security and designed to mitigate the specific cyber risks present in the maritime environment.