International classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has been awarded the contract for classification of nine Medium Range (MR) type product tankers ordered by Maersk Tankers at Samsung’s Ningbo yard in China.
Construction of the first vessels is due to start in the near future, with deliveries due in 2017/18.
These are the first ever vessels ordered by a Danish ship owner to the new Harmonised Common Structural Rules (CSR-H), which came into force in July this year for tankers and bulk carriers. The new rules provide a consistent approach for all International Association of Class Society (IACS) members to evaluate the structural strength of these ship types, LR says.
Jim Smith, LR’s Regional Marine Manager for North Asia, said: “These are amongst the first CSR-H vessels to be ordered and show the trust placed in LR by the shipyard and shipowner. Our strong technical capabilities in Korea and China mean that we can meet the demands for support in a timely manner and help ensure that high quality and high performance vessels are delivered by Samsung to Maersk Tankers.”
LR is currently working on a joint industry project to develop software to simplify the application of CSR-H.