DNV GL and Russian Register Aim to Cooperate on Standards for Gas Fuelled Ships

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday February 5, 2016

DNV GL Wednesday announced that the DNV GL - Maritime and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) intend to cooperate on improving technical standards for the safety of gas-fuelled ships.

DNV GL - Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen is said to have met with RS Director General Konstantin Palnikov to sign a bilateral framework agreement for cooperation at the RS head office in St. Petersburg.

The framework agreement is said to define a general procedure for delegation of authority in situations where one classification society conducts surveys on ships classed by the other, and outlines general terms and conditions for cooperation on dual classification of newbuildings and ships in service, surveys of materials, and vessel equipment.

At the agreement's signing event, the two classification societies are said to have also discussed other possible areas for cooperation that would enable to organisations to leverage each other's unique competencies.

"We look forward to strengthening our cooperation with RS, which will benefit the Russian maritime industry and our long-term partnerships with Russian clients," said Ørbeck-Nilssen.

Besides technical standards for the safety of gas-fuelled ships, other potential areas for cooperation identified by the two organisations are said to include ensuring compliance with the Polar Code, purveying relevant expert assistance to stakeholders, and developing interpretations of the Code's provisions to build on RS and DNV GL's experience.

Currently, about 20 ships are said to be in dual RS–DNV GL class.

In August, DNV GL announced that release of a new class notation to ensure safe fuel transfer operations during ship to ship gas bunkering operations.