Now available: July 2024 edition of the DNV class rules for ships and offshore units

Entering into force on 1 January 2025: the updated edition of the DNV rules, now available. The July 2024 edition contains important updates and new requirements for enhancing operational efficiency as well as for enabling the use of alternative fuels and technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture.

The DNV rules have been updated to allow owners and managers to demonstrate their own operational efficiency, new vessel types and new technologies. Some of the highlights of the rules update include:

New in-operation class notations, aiming to bring clarity to the notations that have a mix of design and operational requirements.

New class notations: 

• Gas fuelled hydrogen class notation, defining requirements for the ship’s fuel system and fuel bunkering connection.
• OCCS class notation (carbon capture and storage on board vessels), offering a framework and requirements for new systems, including exhaust pre-treatment, absorption, after-treatment systems, liquefaction, CO 2 storage, and transfer ashore.
• Class notation for stability pontoons, providing guidance and requirements for pontoons used in heavy lift operations to increase pontoon stability.
• BOG (boil-off gas) class notation, providing requirements for the design and installation of pressure and temperature control systems for liquefied gas tanks

New qualifiers:

• New qualifier “EV” for the class notation Additional fire safety, specifically developed for vessels transporting electrical vehicles.
• New qualifier for the transport of live fish, which has led to a new vessel type for this growing industry: Fish carrier (Live).
• New qualifier “NC” for the notation Hatchcoverless, enabling vessels not intending to transport combustible materials to reduce investments in fire detection and fire-fighting equipment.
  

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• New service notation for Floating spaceports, setting requirements for units and installations intended for the launch and/or recovery of spacecraft.
• Revised rules and standards for Diving systems, now aligned with the IMO 2023 Diving Code.
• The dedicated rule regime for Naval vessels, now completed with requirements covering hull structures, systems, ship types and additional class notations.

The rules may be applied to projects contracted before the entry-into-force date, upon agreement between parties. DNV publishes one main rule edition every year. The next main rule edition is scheduled to be published in July 2025. From time to time, additional amendments may be made to the rules. These amendments will be announced in the DNV Rules & Standards Explorer.

In addition to the above highlights, it should also be noted that the new mandatory class notation Cyber Secure (Essential) is fully aligned with the requirements in the IACS UR E26 and E27. This requirement is applicable for new ships and mobile offshore units contracted after 1 July 2024.

Source:DNV