International News

The latest posts from the International Institute of Marine Surveying HQ.

ClassNK publishes Guidelines for Onboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems

DNV: Deficiencies in CO2 fire-extinguishing systems

MIT Maritime Consortium releases “first-of-its kind” guide for design safety of nuclear ships

Ship to Ship Transfer Guide for Petroleum, Chemicals and Liquefied Gases update published

TSB Canada: Overloaded barge led to crewmember and cargo overboard

Key considerations for mitigating accidents during fumigation

Annual Overview of Marine Casualties and Incidents 2025 report published by EMSA

M/V Wakashio Court Investigation: The ship could have been towed away during the first week

LPG gas likely caused DollFinn motor cruiser fire on the River Shannon

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MIT Maritime Consortium releases “first-of-its kind” guide for design safety of nuclear ships

[caption id="attachment_57484" align="alignright" width="365"] Left to right: Co-authors Anthony Valiaveedu, Nat Edmonds, and Jose Izurieta. Credit: Tony Pulsone/MIT MechE[/caption]

A guide for design safety of nuclear ships has been released by the MIT Maritime Consortium, aims to set the standard for safe maritime nuclear propulsion.

The “first-of-its-kind” handbook serves as a guide for design safety for civilian nuclear ships.

Using research data and standards, combined with operational experiences during civilian maritime nuclear operations, the handbook provides unique insights into potential issues and resolutions in the design efficacy of maritime nuclear operations, a topic of growing importance on the national and international stage.

The handbook, which is divided into chapters in areas involving the overlapping nuclear and maritime safety design decisions that will be encountered by engineers, is careful to balance technical and practical guidance with policy considerations.

Commander Christopher MacLean, MIT associate professor of the practice in mechanical engineering, naval construction, and engineering, says the handbook will significantly benefit the entire maritime community, specifically naval architects and marine engineers, by providing standardized guidelines for design and operation specific to nuclear powered commercial vessels.

“This will assist in enhancing safety protocols, improve risk assessments, and ensure consistent compliance with international regulations,” MacLean says. “This will also help foster collaboration amongst engineers and regulators. Overall, this will further strengthen the reliability, sustainability, and public trust in nuclear-powered maritime systems.”

Anthony Valiaveedu, the handbook’s lead author, and co-author Nat Edmonds, are both students in the MIT Master’s Program in Technology and Policy (TPP) within the IDSS. The pair are also co-authors of a paper published in Science Policy Review earlier this year that offered structured advice on the development of nuclear regulatory policies.

Download the guide: The Nuclear Ship Safety Handbook

The post MIT Maritime Consortium releases “first-of-its kind” guide for design safety of nuclear ships appeared first on The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS).

What caught my eye: October 2025

Boat naming honour for outgoing CRT chief executive How cool to have a boat named after you. Can there be a higher accolade? I always thought a street being named after you, or a library perhaps, would be incredible, but...

The post What caught my eye: October 2025 appeared first on The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS).

DNV: Deficiencies in CO2 fire-extinguishing systems

[caption id="attachment_55869" align="alignright" width="365"] DNV: Deficiencies in CO2 fire-extinguishing systems[/caption]

DNV has recently identified cases of deficiencies in CO2 fire-extinguishing systems that had multiple depleted CO₂ cylinders, potentially compromising fire safety and vessel integrity. More about this below.

Two primary contributors to this issue have been identified:

Incorrect use of ultrasonic liquid level gauges. Level gauging at temperatures exceeding the manufacturer’s instructions on maximum temperature (CO₂ cylinder temperature) gives unreliable readings. At elevated temperatures, CO₂ converts into a supercritical fluid state, and the cylinder no longer has a liquid level to measure.
Bursting disc material. The second issue relates to the material used in the CO₂ cylinder valve bursting disc, to date an issue only observed in systems supplied by NK Co., Ltd. from South Korea up to 2016.

As highlighted in Marshall Island Maritime Safety Advisory No. 14-23, service experience has shown that bursting discs made of copper are prone to fatigue failure.

Recommendations

To mitigate these risks, DNV recommends taking the following actions:

Ensure the latest version of the CO₂ user manual is on board and followed.
Use approved service suppliers and within the applicable regulatory intervals.
Only use ultrasonic level gauges within the temperature range specified by the manufacturer for the liquid level test of CO₂ cylinders.

Read the technical news: DNV - Deficiencies in CO2 fire-extinguishing systems

The post DNV: Deficiencies in CO2 fire-extinguishing systems appeared first on The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS).

ClassNK publishes Guidelines for Onboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems

[caption id="attachment_57514" align="alignright" width="365"] ClassNK publishes Guidelines for Onboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems update[/caption]

ClassNK has released second edition of "Guidelines for Onboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems". It assumes onboard CO2 capture systems (OCCS) use of a membrane separation method which are expected to be applicable to a wide variety of vessel types. The guidelines can support the safety development, manufacturing, and installation of relevant systems.

Not only fuel transition, but interest in capturing CO2 from ships' exhaust gas is growing as a way to reduce GHG emissions. Development of onboard systems for capturing and storing CO2 is also being carried out.

In 2023, ClassNK published the first edition of the "Guidelines for Onboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems" which outlined requirements for OCCS using amine absorption method.

In the newly issued Edition 2.0, the guidelines have been expanded to include requirements for OCCS using membrane separation method which is lower energy requirement compared to amine absorption method and does not require a permanent supply of amine solution.

In addition to that, ClassNK has reorganized the fundamental functional requirements for OCCS, extracted the common requirements across different capture methods, and compiled them into a set of generic requirements that should apply regardless of the specific capture method.

You can download the new guidelines via ClassNK's website.

The post ClassNK publishes Guidelines for Onboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems appeared first on The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS).

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