Report on the international classification societies – part 2.
In the second part of our report on the 13 IACS members we describe those societies which had not been[ds_preview] considered in the first part. Three further classification societies have joined the International Association in the meantime: in June 2010 the Indian Register (IRS) has been accepted as a new member, followed by the Croatian Register (CRS) in May and very recently the Polish Register (PRS) in June.
In October 2009, the European Commission’s Competition Directorate had completed its investigation into the activities of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). While some membership criteria have been updated, the role of IACS remains at the center of marine safety and the societies’ support in providing technical leadership in raising the safety bar in shipping will continue.
To say that the shipping industry is »in flux« at this time must be by now almost a cliché. Nevertheless, the traditional challenges that the industry and those who service it have faced – namely: safety, profitability, fuel prices, cargo rates, and competition – have run into an emerging wave of new pressures, especially regarding environmental concerns and the push for ever greater efficiency.
These new pressures play a significant role in the way classification societies respond to the demands of both industry and regulatory authorities. The opportunity exists for classification societies to not only follow the direction set by regulations but to get ahead of them, to recognize where the trends are leading and provide services that push the industry out in front of this wave.
Croatian Register of Shipping (CRS)
In May 2011, CRS became the twelfth full member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). The class with an associated status of the IACS from 1973 until 2004 actually roots back to the year 1858 when its original organization, the Austrian Veritas, became the world’s third classification society. After World War One the name changed to Adriatic Veritas which was kept until 1921. In 1949, the Yugoslav Register of Shipping (JR) was founded. It lasted until 1992 and has been succeeded by CRS.
The head office of CRS is situated in Split. As an independent, non-profit but common welfare-oriented, public foundation the class offers the following services:
• classification of ships
• statutory certification of ships on behalf of the national Maritime Administrations
• statutory certification of marine equipment
• statutory certification of recreational craft
• certification / registration of quality management systems.
The society’s mission in the field of classification and statutory certification is to promote the highest internationally adopted standards in the safety of life and property at sea and on inland waterways, as well as in the protection of the sea and inland waterways environment.
Germanischer Lloyd (GL)
The society has continued to define its role as a classification society and maritime consultant as well as a technical advisor to energy industries in oil and gas and renewables. For GL, classification means far more than just the thickness of steel or drawing approval. It offers a broad range of services of direct benefit to ship owners, ship yards, the supply industries as well as the flag states. For its maritime customers the society has positioned itself as the natural home for energy efficiency and vessel optimization advice. Given the likelihood of rising bunker prices and tight emission limits, it drives owners and operators to manage vessels more efficiently.
Its in-house design consultancy Futureship has been pitching to owners who do not want to opt for off-the-shelf designs from shipyards and senior management has been talking publicly wherever possible about the implications of the energy efficiency design index and the need for newbuildings to have a fuel efficiency above a benchmark level for the specific vessel type. Indeed, the expertise of Futureship is in high demand since the introduction of pragmatic solutions to save fuel costs has convinced many owners and operators.
While slow steaming and various other measures to improve overall energy management on board have already had an impact on the volume of emissions to air, there remains significant room for improvement in the operational efficiency of vessels. The goal of cutting emissions and reducing fuel consumption can be accomplished by using all the advanced optimization tools available. Analytical and simulation software tools are already at hand to improve vessel performance.
The question of how to use these modern design tools in combination with computation fluid dynamics (CFD) has been taken up in a joint project by GL strategic research and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). The result of the joint undertaking was a next generation Aframax tanker with focused primarily on fuel efficiency without compromising cargo capacity and safety.
Most important for ship owners planning to purchase new Aframax tankers is the fact that the design exceeds the future requirements of the recently developed Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) with an attained EEDI value of 83 % of the latest published reference-line value for this ship size. The vessel would be in compliance with EEDI regulations if they were made mandatory today.
While the IMO regulations are expected to come into force at the beginning of 2015 at the earliest, the design is already outperforming the EEDI at Phase II. Newbuildings contracted before the EEDI has entered into force do not have to comply with the regulations but they will nevertheless have to compete with more energy efficient vessels entering the market after the introduction of the EEDI.
The EEDI is proposed by IMO in order to promote energy efficiency in ship building. The index is intended to stimulate innovation and the technical development of all the elements influencing the energy efficiency of a ship, both in the design phase and also by encouraging best practices for the fuel efficient operation of ships. Future generations of vessels can only be built if the attained EEDI is smaller than the required EEDI. The EEDI is a standard that sets energy efficiency targets for ships and these targets will be progressively tightened. The three EEDI levels are Phase I (-10 %), Phase II (-20 %) and Phase III (-30 %).
The IMO approach has already spurred the development of new technologies for better ship designs without compromising safety. Previous experience indicates that owners prefer vessels which are flexible enough to adjust to the different requirements imposed by route or weather conditions. Owners are well-advised to order the most efficient vessels to increase their long-term competitiveness.
Although oil tankers are considered to be among the most energy efficient vessels today, with an EEDI value ranging from 2 to 6 g CO2 / (t*nm), they emitted approximately 115 million t of CO2 in 2009, an 8 % increase from 2007. The current share of oil tanker CO2 emissions is approximately 12 % of the total CO2 emissions from international shipping.
For the Aframax tanker design concept the society used an advanced optimization environment, integrating software tools to predict required propulsion power, stability, oil outflow index, cargo capacity and hull structural scantlings according to IACS Common Structural Rules. The optimization targeted speed at three different drafts, cargo capacity taking account of cargo volume and mass, hull structural mass, hull cargo, oil tank, and ballast tank layout.
Related design parameters were systematically varied and approximately 2,500 design variants were generated and assessed. The resulting optimized hull form facilitates a speed of 15.6 knots at design draft. For safety reasons and to reduce oil outflow in accidents, the double hull side width was eventually set to 2.65 m. To further reduce cargo tank penetration in grounding events, the inner bottom of the cargo oil tank 1 was raised from 2.10 m to 2.75 m. To ensure structural continuity, an inclined inner bottom is proposed between two frames. With a 7 % decrease in cost of transport, 9 % lower oil outflow index (outflow of oil in case of accident), and the highest speed of comparable Aframax designs, the GL design concept called BEST-plus represents the next generation of Aframax oil tankers.
Due to the ongoing discussion of improved quality fuels and the cost implications of their use, the use of alternative fuels was considered by the joint project. Oil tankers, with their relatively large deck area, offer sufficient space for the installation of the required gas tanks and for the gas preparation room. The design concept calculates 2,000 m3 LNG for two round trips. Using LNG as ship fuel could reduce SOx emissions by 90 % and CO2 emissions by 20 %.
The design concept combines the latest achievements in hydrodynamic hull optimization and offers competitive ship operations for the long term. It is a truly green design which incorporates answers to the challenges posed by the forthcoming regulations.
Forthcoming IMO conventions on topic such as ballast water management require advice on how to pursue the objectives of the convention in the most efficient way. In order to support its clients in a forceful way the society has published a model booklet on effective ballast water management for its clients. The 129-page publication describes safe procedures for handling ballast water in accordance with international as well as regional regulations. Special attention is given to ballast water treatment procedures and safety issues as more and more vessels are equipped with such treatment systems.
GL’s updated Model Booklet for Ballast Water Management offers guidance to shipowners and operators in developing ballast water management (BWM) plans. The purpose of a BWM plan is to minimize the risk of transferring unwanted organisms into the environment when discharging ballast water. A BWM plan must be carefully designed for the particular ship it is intended for. The booklet guides operators in custom-tailoring a BWM plan to suit a vessel’s particular outfit and capability and instructs them how to update the plan once a ballast water treatment plant has been installed. The Booklet details treatment procedures and covers various methods of exchanging ballast water, including the sequential, flow-through and dilution methods.
Classification societies have to not only follow guidelines for emissions reductions and efficiency gains but to be leading the development of those guidelines, offering the industry a path that enables rather than prescribes the way forward. There exists in the development of »voluntary« standards and certification the potential for ship owners, operators and charterers to demonstrate their commitment to green shipping and efficiency, and for class societies to help support and shape this commitment.
Indian Register of Shipping (IRS)
The IRS was founded in 1975 in India and is located in Mumbai. In June 2010, the society has joined the IACS as eleventh member. It has developed from a mere ships register to a reputable entity for classifying and surveying offshore units. IRS presently has 15 offices located all over India. It has overseas offices in China, Sri Lanka, Dubai, South Korea, Bangkok, Piraeus and Houston. IRS is expected to open an office in UK shortly.
History milestones:
• April 1975: The IRS is established and registered under section of the Companies Act 1956 as a non-profit public limited company. In the same year dual class agreements for mutual cooperation are signed with the following:
– Lloyd’s register of Shipping
– American Bureau of Shipping
– Det Norske Veritas
The first register of ships is published in the same year.
• 1977: The IRS publishes its first rule book.
• Two years later, in 1979, it is authorised by the Indian government to assign load lines on Indian flag vessels. In the same year it diversifies its activities to include inspection for land based industries.
• 1983: Dual class agreement with Bureau Veritas
• 1984: Dual class agreement with Germanischer Lloyd
• 1991: The IRS becomes an associate of the IACS.
• 1997: The IRS is appointed by the Maritime Administration of the Indian government as the sole authority for final assignment of Load Line in Indian flag vessels.
• 1998: The IRS is appointed as the only recognised organisation for conducting audits under the ISM Code for all Indian flag vessels.
• May 2000: The International Underwriting Association under the Institution Classification Clause recognises the IRS. By virtue of this, ships classified by the IRS would not attract any extra insurance.
• In July 2004, the International Ship and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) comes into effect. The IRS is appointed as the sole recognised security organisation to determine compliance under the code for Indian flag ships and port facilities.
• In June 2010, the IRS becomes a full member of IACS.
Korean Register (KR)
At the end of 2010, the number of ships registered with KR stood at 2,555 with an aggregated tonnage of 43,563,487 gt. The number of ships increased by 114, while the aggregated total gross tonnage grew by 4,456,250 gt compared with the previous year. The Society, headquartered at Daejeon, Korea, employs around 560 people and is represented in 45 offices worldwide.
According to chairman and CEO of the Korean Society, Oh Kong-gyung, 2010 »will be remembered as a milestone year« for the Korean Register. The year of its 50th anniversary ended with a fleet of over 43 million gt, which represents an increase of 10.3 % compared with 2009. Oh Kong-gyung is confident that KR will soon reach the goal of 50 million gt. Under the item of »Responsibility Management« policy, each global region (Europe, China and rest Asia) has been given more responsibility to manage their businesses and this has resulted in the delivery of a much higher standard of service to its customers. In 2010, five additional offices were added to its international network – these were in Milan, Teheran, Panama, Johor Bahru and Hanoi – and further places are contemplated to come throughout 2011.
KR’s global voice has grown alongside its physical presence. The Seoul International Maritime and Shipbuilding Conference (SIMS) has become an open forum to facilitate enhanced industry communication and allowed the society to act as a »harmonious moderator« among industry interests. The class shared its industry knowledge and enhanced the customer dialogue through a series of road shows, technical seminars and customer meetings around the world. As a result of a face-to-face strategy in the major maritime cities, a record newbuilding overseas order-book could be achieved.
The business portfolio continues to expand and one focus last year was on energy, environment and offshore-related engineering services as well as on strengthening the core competency of ship classification. In 2010, the surveyors ensured that KR remained one of the top performers amongst their peers in classification services. The society has achieved zero class-related detentions within the USCG port state control regime in nine consecutive years and has consistently been listed as a »high performer«. These results have been achieved through a strong and continued focus on the core strength as a class society and its efforts to enhance the quality of its technology through engaging in external projects as well as internal investment in R&D, such as joint development project with major Korean shipyards and research institutes and government funded research projects. More specifically, the efforts included structural reliability analysis and risk assessment of various offshore structures, development of LNG fuelled vessel, LNG FSRU, CNG carrier, CO2 and NGH carrier and its containment system. With a strategic expansion of the function of an R&D institute last year, KR says it will continue to pursue the excellence technology.
2010 was another exceptional year for its energy and environmental focus. Locally it achieved designation as the wind turbine performance evaluation body by the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the GHG verification body by the Korean Ministry of Environment. The society was also selected as one of the main certification bodies for the 5 GW wind farm project at Jeollanamdo, Korea. Internationally, cooperation agreements in Germany and Japan for wind turbine certification technology were concluded.
2010 was also the first year in which KR’s »Green Management« policy was put into practice. With the establishment of the Green & Industrial Technology Center, it expects to be able to better showcase it innovations and competence in the energy and environmental sector in the future. Enhancing its competitiveness and developing the future portfolio continued through a number of achievements including the expansion of its CE Mark certification business, development of naval regulation and technical support.
Chairman Hood of IACS Survey Panel
The IACS operates four panels: the Hull Panel, Machinery Panel, Statutory Panel and the Survey Panel. Chairmanship of each panel is for three years – and Captain Jongshik Rhim from KR has served as Chairman of the Survey Panel since January 2008. On 14 January 2011 he relinquished his position to Class NK. He was the first KR executive to have been elected Chairman of an IACS panel. The Survey Panel deals with all technical issues related to the survey and certification of vessels and their components and materials. It also handles the procedures for transfer of classification society (TOC) that regulates the complexities involved in changing classification status from one classification society to another. All IACS resolutions including Unified Requirements (UR), Unified Interpretations (UI), Recommendations and Internal Guidelines (IG) produced by the Survey Panel directly or indirectly affect shipbuilders, shipowners and equipment manufactures, which makes its work extremely important.
Lloyd’s Register (LR)
In 2010, the society celebrated its 250th anniversary of serving the maritime industry. When recapitulating two and a half centuries of Lloyd’s history one is being reminded of the considerable technical changes in shipping with the eruption of technological developments during the past fifty years: from sails to steam engines which were followed up by diesel engines. Wooden vessels became steel ships that grew to unbelievable size compared with the average 300 tdw vehicles of the time of Lloyd’s foundation. The rise of the computer era again remarkably changed the world and has enabled the company to achieve a tremendous technical progress today like the global positioning system e.g. or the development of mobile telephone systems.
Likewise Lloyd’s has undergone dramatic expansions since 1760 and has meanwhile also stretched its arms beyond the traditional shipping segment »to serve the quality needs of every sector of industry worldwide« (Lloyd’s comments). Today the society employs around 7,500 people at offices in 247 places all over of the world. Chairman David Moorhouse CBE, who passed his position to Thomas Thune Anderson in January 2011, had to admit a 6.7 % decline of the marine business on the previous financial year as well as a 10 % down on basis of a constant exchange rate. After all the marine sector felt confident in view of a strong group result despite the tough global economic conditions. According to Lloyd’s Marine Director Tom Brodley, »shipping has proved resilient and the industry remains in reasonably good health«. The world fleet is still growing, although the overall orderbook of new ships is currently declining as deliveries outpace new orders. However, the tonnage and number of Lloyd’s Register-classed newbuildings on order continues to grow – after a strong performance so far in 2010.
With large numbers of new ships entering the market, there are concerns about the supply / demand balance. Mitigating the impact of new tonnage has been the acceleration in ship recycling. Older tonnage has been removed at increasing rates. Only 5.4 million tdw of shipping was sent for recycling in 2007; this rose in 2009 to 31.6 million tdw.
Newbuilding activity has been focused on bulk carriers. Many of these will be built to Lloyd’s Register class – particularly in Korea, where its overall share of the order book in 2010 is 32 %. The container sector, so badly hit by the global recession, is now showing real recovery.
Lloyd’s Register is an independent risk management organization providing risk assessment and mitigation services and management systems certification. Historically, as Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, it was a specifically maritime organization. During the late 20th century, it diversified to other industries including oil & gas, process industries, nuclear and rail. Through its 100 % subsidiary LRQA, it is also a major vendor of management system quality certification. Founded in 1760, the Society printed the first Register of Ships during 1764 in order to give both underwriters and merchants an idea of the condition of the vessels they insured and chartered: ship hulls were graded by a lettered scale (A being the best), and ship’s fittings (masts, rigging, and other equipment) was graded by number (1 being the best). Thus the best classification was »A1«, from which the expression A1, or A1 at Lloyd’s, is derived, first appeared in the 1775/1776 edition of the Register. It is published annually with information on all sea-going, self-propelled merchant ships of 100 gross tons or greater. A vessel remains registered with Lloyd’s until it is sunk, wrecked, hulked, or scrapped.
Lloyd’s Rules for ships are derived from principles of naval architecture and marine engineering, and govern safety and operational standards for numerous merchant, military and privately-owned vessels all around the world. Lloyd’s Rules govern a number of topics including:
• materials used for construction of the vessel
• ship structural requirements and minimum scantlings, dependent upon ship type
• operation and maintenance of main and auxiliary machinery
• operation and maintenance of emergency and control systems.
Specific editions of the rules are available to cater for merchant ships, naval ships, trimarans, special purpose vessels and offshore structures. A ship is known as being in class if it meets all the minimum requirements of Lloyd’s Rules, and such a status affects the possibility of a ship getting insurance. Class can be withdrawn from a ship if it is in violation of any regulations and does not maintain the minimum requirements specified by the company. However, exceptional circumstances may warrant special dispensation from Lloyd’s Register. Any alteration to the vessel, whether it is a structural alteration or machinery, must be approved by Lloyd’s Register before it is implemented.
Ships are inspected on a regular basis by a team of Lloyd’s Register surveyors, one of the most important inspections being a ship’s annual Load Line Survey. Such a survey includes an inspection of the hull to make sure that the load line has not been altered. Numerous other inspections such as the condition of hatch and door seals, safety barriers and guard rails are also performed. Upon completion the ship is allowed to be operated for another year before the requirement of another survey, and is issued a Load Line Certificate.
Lloyd‘s Register building
In May 2011, LR secured a prestigious contract to support Maersk FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessels) global commitment to safe, clean and efficient offshore operations.
Lloyd’s Register EMEA has been awarded the global contract to provide Maersk FPSOs with a comprehensive suite of technical services to assure the reliable operation of its fleet of floating oil and gas production units which serves some of the world’s biggest offshore fields. The multi-year agreement will require the combined expertise of the energy and marine teams at Lloyd’s Register to deliver a suite of technical services – including integrity and inspection management, classification, verification and engineering support – to help ensure safe and sustainable operations. There is an option to extend beyond the original contract period. Lloyd’s Register has an unrivalled marine heritage which it has merged with the offshore expertise of its energy division and bolstered with specialist expertise acquired through recent acquisitions to offer a unique technical-assurance package that covers people, plant and process. Lloyd’s Register has committed more than £ 150 million in the past five fiscal years to acquire companies displaying technical leadership in their specialist fields, including: Scandpower AS, a leader in independent risk-management; ModuSpec BV, the leading provider of technical services to the offshore drilling sector; and Human Engineering Ltd, one of the world’s top human factors consultancies. The new agreement will require Lloyd’s Register to assist and advise Maersk FPSOs on meeting the regulatory, health, safety and environmental commitments of its asset integrity-management programme. It also requires Lloyd’s Register to proactively manage activities relating to the retention of class notations for Maersk FPSOs’ fleet, to supply the surveyors to carry out Flag State surveys and to carry out in-service and design verification and examination activities as required by local legislation and / or Maersk in markets as distant as Australia, Brazil, Norway and the UK. To ensure a seamless delivery of the complex long-term programme, the core integrity team at Lloyd’s Register will reside with Maersk FPSOs’ operations team in Aberdeen.
Nippon Kaijikyokai (ClassNK)
Since its founding more than eleven decades ago, ClassNK has grown to become the largest classi cation society in the world on a gross tonnage basis with more than 178.6 million gross tons or some 20 % of the global commercial eet on register. This is a truly remarkable achievement and highlights the high level of trust of the maritime community. On the other hand, Japan these days has to cope with extreme imponderabilites caused by the nuclear disaster. That this could happen in a highly sophisticated country is especially tragic when considering the impact on its people as well as on its highly developed industry. While also in Japan voices become louder to switch to alternative energy, Class NK in 2009 already launched an interesting alternative power system for future shipping. In an effort to find effective ways of reducing CO2 emissions to help prevent global warming, the society introduced a joint industry project (JIP). It aims to develop a motor assisted wind driven ship using ocean wind as a main source of propulsion energy. This project is organized by the University of Tokyo and seven parties, namely: NYK Line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (»K« Line), Oshima Shipbuilding, Teijin, Tadano, and ClassNK, amongst others, who are actively participating in the project. This project, known as the »Wind Challenger Project«, aims to develop a motor-assisted wind-driven ship. Such a ship normally obtains propulsion power from ocean winds using hard sails, and while in harbour or in weak-wind weather conditions the ship uses a diesel engine as a complementary form of propulsion. As a result, the ship can achieve signi cant reductions in CO2 emissions through the use of renewable wind energy while maintaining on-schedule navigation, which is one of the most important functions of all merchant ships. The Wind Challenger Project aims to reduce CO2 emissions from the ship to as much as one third that compared with ships of the same size operated with conventional diesel engine driven propulsion. The concept of a motor assisted wind driven ship is being developed using an 180,000 tdw capesize bulk carrier as a concrete example. This project is currently scheduled to be completed in 2012 together with business models for the operation of motor-assisted wind-driven ships of various types. The subject ship to be designed for the project of a motor-assisted wind-driven Capesize bulk carrier is to be equipped with nine hard-sails made of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) on the upper deck. Each sail consists of five separate parts in the vertical direction, which are connected and supported by a spar (mast) having a specially designed telescopic expansion mechanism so that the sail can be expanded and contracted, as needed. When loading and unloading cargoes or when operating in heavy seas or rough weather conditions, the sails can be contracted. At such times, the ship can be maneuvered using the supplemental diesel engine. The shape of the sails and their arrangement will be developed for optimum performance through 3D CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis and wind tunnel tests.
Polish Register of Shipping (PRS)
(Polski Rejestr Statków)
Just recently, in June 2011, in a press release IACS welcomed the Polish Register of Shipping (PRS) as a new member, »having satisfied the membership criteria adopted in October 2009«.
The Chairman of IACS, Noboru Ueda, accepted PRS’s application on 3rd June and announced that the members of IACS are pleased that PRS has joined and look forward to their active participation and contribution to the work of IACS. The association is committed to high standards and quality and PRS is said to have demonstrated its commitment to these principles through its satisfaction of the Association’s membership criteria. PRS is the thirteenth IACS-member.
History
Polski Rejestr Statków dates back to the year 1936, when Polski Rejestr eglugi ródl dowej (Polish Register of Inland Shipping), headquartered in Warsaw, was established. At that time, the first rules of the institution – Classification and Construction of Wooden and Steel Barges – were published. After the end of World War II, Polski Rejestr eglugi ródl dowej revived its activity in 1946, in a changed and extended form with the reinstatement of the institution under the name Polski Rejestr Statków S.A., seated in Gda sk. In 1954 the institution, by decision of the then authorities, was transformed into a state enterprise. The first ships surveyed by PRS were fishing cutters built in the Polish shipyards. Further development of the institution has led to extension of its activity to cover surveys of sea-going ships and supervision of the ship equipment manufacture. In 1950, the first sea-going ships came under PRS survey – a series of 29 small bulk carriers for carriage of ore and coal (starting with »Soldek« in 1949), built in Gda sk Shipyard, 600 gt general cargo ships and 4,000 gt general cargo ships of the Lewant type, fishing super trawlers and tugs.
The first Classification Regulations for Ships were issued in 1956, followed in 1957 by the first Register of sea-going Ships.
RINA
The Italian classification society has been responsible for ship classification and certification since its founding in 1861. As one of the oldest societies in the world for the classification of merchant ships, RINA was established in Genoa by shipowners and underwriters. A founding member of IACS, RINA is authorized to act on behalf of the Italian Administration in accordance with EU Directive 94/57 and by approximately 70 other flag administrations.
From initial design and construction to ship management and crew and port interface, the focus of the new activities is to ensure owners and shipyards the safety, security and quality standards set by the shipping industry.
In April 2010, the RINA newbuilding list of contracts for classification included 560 newbuildings achieving 8.7 million gt, 29 % of which are tankers and 19 % cruise ships and passenger ferries. In October 2010 the classed fleet comprised over 27 million gt.
In addition to the traditional classification of merchant ships, the RINA marine sector also covers:
• classification of naval ships
• yacht classification
• marine services
• research projects and studies
• Services for oil & gas
Certification
In today’s increasingly more attentive and demanding market, the certification procedure, in which a third party gives written assurance that a product / service of an organization complies with specified requirements, is a tool of great economic and social utility. Certification, in fact, has a dual purpose: firstly, it allows consumers to choose on the basis of objective parameters and to facilitate their purchase decisions, and secondly, it helps certified organizations to use shared and unified reference standards in order to rationalize and simplify their activities and to add value to their overall activities.
The strategic importance of certification lies in the fact that it maximizes the commitment of an organization and protects it from unqualified competition.
Ship classification
The classification and certification of ships has been the »core business« of RINA ever since it was established in 1861. Since then, RINA has constantly developed technical partnerships in the shipping sector. These include technological support during the design stage, construction surveillance, ship management and technical assistance during maintenance. The objective is to help ship owners and shipyards to achieve elevated standards of quality and safety.
Research and Development
RINA Group, in order to maintain high levels of efficiency and competitiveness in a market which is nowadays based on globalization, is to devote itself to the research and development of new technological solutions. For this purpose, RINA Group stands by its clients and partners to support this competition through an active participation in research projects, national and international working groups, scientific committees, etc.
In fact, RINA Group considers research as the fundamental key to grow and maintain the knowledge necessary to provide its clients with high-level services, which are in line with or anticipate the new technologies and analysis methodologies offered by the market. RINA Group is mainly involved in the development of specific solutions to applicative issues relevant to maritime field such as:
• energy and environment
• risk and human factors
• advance hydrodynamic
• structural analysis
• climate change
• health
• food, agriculture
• information and communication technologies
• transport
• security
Inspections and audit
Today, more than ever, with the arrival of globalization and increasingly more aggressive competition, it has become vital for all market players to assure and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their company processes.
In this context, inspections and audits are recognized as being capable of ensuring that the results of each organizational or production processes satisfy design requirements.
Thanks to its experience in the world of certification and its close collaboration with leading organizations in the sector, RINA has developed sufficient technical skills to allow it to offer an extensive range of product and process audits for the purpose of constantly improving quality levels.
Owing to its numerous accreditations as an inspection and certification body and its international network, RINA can rapidly provide qualified and specialized technical staff in every sector it operates in.
Risk management
Risk management involves ensuring that the main risks inherent in each activity are recognised and managed by means of a systematic process of elimination, reduction, transfer and control. RINA assists customers by providing services aimed at identifying, assessing, managing and financially controlling the risks of each activity.
Risk management is based on the following logical process:
• hazard identification
• definition and quantification of risk scenarios
• risk management and control by implementing countermeasures.
The final objective, therefore, is to achieve what is known as residual risk, namely, the remaining risks which the company decides to maintain and manage internally.
Risk reduction is achieved by performing activities aimed at eliminating, wherever possible, minimising and transferring the total risk identified during the initial analysis and quantification stage.
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping
The Russian classification society was established on 31 December 1913. In 1969 it joined the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) as a full member. Today with its headquarters located in Saint Petersburg, more than 1,600 employees of the society in over 100 countries take care of around 6,700 classed ships of more than forty different state-flags.
The main objectives of the society are to provide the safety of navigation, the safety of life at sea, the security of ships, the safe carriage of cargo, the environmental safety of ships, the prevention of pollution from ships, the performance of authorizations issued by administrations and customers.
The class develops and continually improves its rules and guidelines in compliance with requirements of the international standards to ensure the safety at sea and pollution prevention.
Its main task is both to maintain its own quality management system at the highest possible level and to promote also implementation of high technical standards in design of ships, shipbuilding and shipping industry using its unique experience in ensuring maritime safety. In order to ensure the above, the society develops and upgrades its rules on the basis of comprehensive research work as well as the requirements of International Conventions and Codes.
Since 1993 the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) has been maintaining the internal quality management system developed in compliance with ISO 9001. The RS quality management system is certified by IACS, RF Gosstandart. Since 1999 RS has been recognized by the European Union and acting in accordance with Council Directive 94/57/EC and EN 45004.
Highly qualified personnel and a global network of offices enable RS to provide prompt and reliable services worldwide:
• design technical appraisal, survey and issue of documents, certificates and reports to ships and offshore installations as well as to ship machinery, equipment, arrangements, products, outfit and materials, refrigerating plants, cargo handling gear, containers
• tonnage measurement of ships and offshore installations
• survey for compliance with the requirements of international conventions and issue of relevant certificates and other documents on behalf of governments of the states – parties to the international conventions
• certification of industrial products and processes
• certification of safety management systems of shipping companies and ships for compliance with the International Management Code for Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention
• data analysis on vessels transfer of class and submission of information at the request of shipowners, maritime administrations, underwriters and port authorities
• co-operation with Maritime Administrations and Port authorities during the port control of ships.
The Director General of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, Nikolay A. Reshetov, said in a statement:
»In 2003 RS celebrated the 90th anniversary of its foundation. Over the years RS has coped with ever-changing challenges and has gained incontestable authority and worldwide recognition. Today, the assignment of the RS class to a ship is a confirmation of the fact that the technical condition of the ship ensures her safe operation and protection of the marine environment from pollution.
RS as a recognized organization fully complies with all applicable international requirements including the requirements of IMO resolutions A.739(18) and A.789(19), Council Directive 94/57/EC, EN 45004 and ISO 9001, which is confirmed by the international certificates of compliance issued by results of RS audits and certification.
The RS has a global network of representations and regional offices. More than 1,600 highly qualified specialists carry out all the tasks relating to safe navigation, safety of life at sea and pollution prevention.
The realization of the programs of Russian fleet revival and exploitation of offshore raw material resources requires creation of different types of transport ships, ships of technical fleet and offshore ice-strengthened installations, which have no analogues in the world.
The target program developed by the RS for supporting Russian designers, shipbuilders and owners is aimed at maintaining high standards of safety at sea.
All the RS activities are based on profound, systematic scientific research. The RS cooperates with research institutes, design offices and higher educational establishments. The RS research work is coordinated with the participation of the Scientific and Technical Council. The RS research work plan is aimed at further improvement of the RS normative and technical base.«
Günter Full
