Fri 7 Aug 2009, 14:10 GMT

ABS to issue air pollution certificates


Classification society is authorized to verify the compliance of US vessels with MARPOL Annex VI.



Effective today, The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has been authorized to act on behalf of the US Coast Guard (USCG) to verify the compliance of US-flag vessels with MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI.

Acting as a Recognized Organization, the class society can now issue the International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) Certificate, required by MARPOL, on behalf of the USCG, to US-flag vessels that meet the criteria.

"This expansion of our authorization by the Coast Guard provides our clients with a more efficient means to gain and maintain the necessary certification," said Thomas Gilmour, Americas Division President and Chief Operating Officer at ABS.

MARPOL Annex VI addresses the amount of sulfur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions permitted from ships and has set an aggressive target to reduce these levels over the next decade.

Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities.


Alisios vessel. Axpo completes first LNG bunkering in Valencia, with over half bio-LNG  

Ship-to-ship transfer to a container vessel makes Valencia the company's fourth Spanish port for LNG bunkering.

Christening ceremony of Makua vessel. Matson christens Makua, first of three LNG-ready Aloha Class container ships  

Dual-fuel vessel, due for delivery in early 2027, is the first of three ships worth around $1bn.

CMB.Tech logo. CMB.Tech seeks Singapore-based ammonia operations manager for Asia Pacific  

New hire will oversee ammonia chartering and bunkering and liaise with Far East partners.

Lumi Aurora vessel. IINO Lines deploys first Ice Class IB VLGC on long-term charter to Borouge International  

LPG-fuelled Lumi Aurora will carry North American gas to Borouge International's Porvoo plant in Finland.

Abelina Wagenborg vessel launch. Wagenborg launches first EasyMax 2.0 vessel, prepared for methanol, ammonia and LNG  

Abelina Wagenborg, built at Niestern Sander, is the first of a new generation designed for multiple alternative fuels.

NYK and MISC joint venture signing. NYK–MISC joint venture signs charter for 18,700-cbm LNG carrier with Malaysia LNG  

Asia LNG Transport will operate the dual-fuel diesel-electric newbuild, due from Hudong-Zhonghua in 2028, on routes to Japan.

Tsuneishi logo. Study finds methanol dual-fuel retrofit of Kamsarmax bulk carrier would take about 75 days  

Report by Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center, involving Tsuneishi, puts conversion costs at 25–30% of the cost of a conventionally fuelled newbuilding.

LR, Shell and GTT joint development project (JDP) launch. Lloyd's Register, Shell and GTT launch joint project on hybrid-electric 200,000-cbm LNG carrier  

Partners to develop a concept combining hybrid-electric propulsion with GTT NEXT1 cargo containment technology for larger LNG carriers.

ClearMariner homepage. ClearMariner expands maritime sanctions screening with ESG, emissions and API support  

Online service now combines sanctions checks with voyage CO₂, CII, EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime estimates.

Long Jing Xin, Flex Commodities. Flex Commodities adds Long Jing Xin to Singapore marine fuels team  

Company appoints associate for marine fuels as part of plan for regional expansion.