ClassNK has released amendments to its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships dated 30 June 2023, according to ClassNK's release.
ClassNK is constantly revising its Rules and Guidance in order to reflect the latest results from relevant research and development projects, feedback from damage investigations, requests from industry as well as changes made to relevant international conventions, IACS unified requirements (UR), etc.
More specifically, some of the amendments made this time are as follows:
- Specify new formulae for sloshing loads as well as corresponding new scantling formulae. This amendment is being made to incorporate the latest sloshing knowledge obtained from the society's independently conducted research and development.
- Establish new requirements for work ships and support ships intended for the maintenance and management of offshore wind turbine installations as well as corresponding ship classification notation. This amendment is being made in response to requests from relevant industry members because the demand for such ships is expected to increase as more offshore wind turbine installations enter into service.
- Amend requirements for seawater-lubricated propeller shafts subject to drawing-out inspection every five years to allow the interval to be changed to every 15 years through the adoption of a preventive maintenance system. This amendment is being made in response to requests received from relevant industry members related to recent developments in seawater lubrication system technology.
- Clarify the scope of protection against fire for additional equipment used for transferring cargo to other vessels on liquefied gas carriers and clarify the NOx emission standards for biofuels. These amendments are being made in response to changes in relevant international conventions and to incorporate newly established IACS Unified Interpretations (UI).
- Amend requirements for test procedures of cast and forged steel products, and safety measures for reciprocating internal combustion engines. These amendments are being made to incorporate the latest revisions of relevant IACS Unified Requirements (UR).