Rig becomes world’s first jack-up with DNV’s Abate-Ready notation

Classification society DNV has awarded – what it describes as – the world-first Abate-Ready notation for a jack-up unit to the Dubai-based Vahana Marine Solutions DMCC’s self-propelled rig.

DNV revealed on Wednesday, 5 April 2023, that Vahana Marine Solutions DMCC’s Vahana Aryan had become the first jack-up rig to receive its Abate-Ready notation, which is designed to assist the owners and operators of offshore units to identify and implement measures that can lead to reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Narish Nathan, CEO of Vahana Offshore, remarked: ”At Vahana Offshore, we are committed to playing our part in achieving a sustainable future. We recognise that reducing environmental impact requires collaboration with all stakeholders, and we will work closely with them to prioritise emission control. As part of this effort, we encourage everyone to adopt an ‘each one, teach one’ approach to reduce emissions.”

The 2018-built Vahana Aryan jack-up rig is of GustoMSC NG-2500X design and can accommodate 200 people. DNV outlines that its Abate notation helps offshore operators reach decarbonisation goals by providing a framework for operational and technical GHG abatement measures.

Bijali Nair, VP and Regional Offshore Manager South East Europe, Middle East & Africa, DNV Μaritime, commented: “It is encouraging to see such early adoption of the Abate notation by Vahana Marine Solutions. We hope their commitment to GHG reductions can inspire other regional offshore players and ultimately help us all achieve our climate goals.”

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is currently in the process of revising its existing climate strategy, which aims to only halve emissions from ships by 2050, as member states are calling for full decarbonisation by 2050. Therefore, the IMO is expected to adopt its revised greenhouse gas emissions strategy at the IMO MEPC 80, which is set to take place in July 2023 in London.

According to DNV, offshore installations are not currently covered by the same rules as the ones the IMO is implementing to reduce the carbon intensity of sea-going vessels, thus, the offshore industry is still seeking greater sustainability at its installations and is keen to explore different ways of achieving this, as stakeholder pressure mounts.

Torgeir Sterri, SVP and Director of Offshore Classification at DNV, stated: “We are delighted to award the first Abate-Ready notation for a jack-up unit to Vahana Marine Solutions and we are pleased to work with a partner that is so engaged and committed to achieving its climate goals.

“Our Abate class notation is already proving to be a successful resource for offshore owners wishing to reduce GHG emissions and fulfil carbon reduction targets and we expect it to become a key part of the offshore industry’s carbon reduction commitments in the coming months and years.”

Regarding DNV’s recent activities, it is worth noting that the classification society handed out the world’s first D-INF(S) type approvals last month to COSCO Shipping and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for their data collection systems.

DNV underscores that its D-INF rules can help to ensure a vessel’s data network is reliable, secure, and supports the increasing demand for data-driven decision-making in navigation, communications, and safety systems.