Asia/Pacific News
Class Society Releases Gas Fuel Guidelines
As the demand for less-polluting alternatives to traditional fuel oil grows, Japanese classification society ClassNK says it has released a new version of guidelines for gas fuelled ships based on International Maritime Organisation (IMO) discussions on safety in the use of gases and other low flashpoint fuels (IGF Code).
The Guidelines for Gas Fuelled Ships, available on the ClassNK website for free with registration, offers comprehensive information on bunkering, hull structure, fire safety, explosion prevention, and other design matters in line with the IMO discussions.
"Discussions on the IGF Code at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have been accelerated in order to extend safety regulations to this growing sector of the industry," ClassNK said.
"The Code will govern safety aspects of the application of natural gas for propulsion and auxiliary purposes."
A draft of the code was first written in 2009, and it is set to be finalised next year.
DNV announced a new set of rules for the use of methanol and other low-flashpoint fuels earlier this year.
