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DNV GL welcomed the Unique Shipping Group's new vessel, the Oriental Jubilee, into class when it was christened in Ulsan, South Korea recently. The 84,000-cubic-metre liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and is the first vessel to be awarded the DNV GL 'SCRUBBER READY' notation.

"Making sure our vessels are prepared for current and upcoming emissions regulations is very important to us. The SCRUBBER READY notation enables us to make the necessary provisions in the design, so that the installation of a scrubber in the future is a more straightforward operation," the senior management of the Hong-Kong-based Unique Shipping Group said in a statement.

"Unique Shipping has been a very important partner for us at DNV GL, in providing feedback throughout the development process of our new rule set and particularly for the development of the SCRUBBER READY notation. So it was only natural that a vessel from Unique Shipping would be the first to be awarded the DNV GL notation," said Ole Gilsa, Area Manager Ulsan at DNV GL - Maritime.

The SCRUBBER READY notation takes into account all the relevant factors for the installation of scrubbers, ranging from space and stability requirements, to fire safety, piping, corrosion resistance, and the effect on the main engine. This helps to reduce off-hire time and retrofitting costs if a scrubber system is fitted in the future. DNV GL also offers scrubber advisory services to support customers, from building the business case, to risk assessment of the design, installation, commissioning, hardware-in-the-loop testing of the control system, right through to the system entering into operation.

Oriental Jubilee and its sister vessel, which is scheduled for delivery in September 2017, have been prepared for the installation of a hybrid scrubber system based on an existing design and technology. The unit can also be connected with multiple exhaust gas inlets from the ships' main engine, three diesel engines and the boiler.

"Applying new rules demands exceptionally good cooperation between everybody involved, which I am very happy to say we achieved in applying this new class notation," explained Swee Yin Wong, Senior Surveyor at DNV GL's Ulsan station in Korea. "The system was chosen because of its operating flexibility. It enables wash water to be discharged into the sea in open loop mode, but also includes a liquid recirculation system in order to operate in closed loop mode. This is important if you operate in fresh water or low-alkalinity areas, as well as in areas, where discharging wash water is prohibited," she added.

Designed for global operation, the Oriental Jubilee took its maiden voyage to the Persian Gulf in the middle of June.