Bureau Veritas releases new rules for offshore service vessels

Gijsbert de Jong, Bureau Veritas Marine Marketing and Sales Director, said: “With this new publication Bureau Veritas provides the industry with a clear framework for the classification of offshore service vessels and tugs based on an end-user friendly system of class notations reflecting the terminology used by the industry. This document is the culmination of a development plan aimed at addressing the specific requirements of key offshore operations in our rules.”

The new rules set out requirements for the classification of a wide range of vessels performing construction, installation, maintenance and other support activities at sea. These requirements cover towing, anchor handling, supply, fire-fighting, oil recovery, diving support, lifting, standby and rescue, accommodation, pipe laying, cable laying and semi-submersible heavy transport vessels.

New and updated class notations and service features have also been included for:

• Wind turbine installation vessels
• Self-elevating units - covering the legs and elevating systems fitted on liftboats
• MOUs (Mobile Offshore Units) Code compliant accommodation
• SP[PoB]-capable (Special Purpose / number of persons on-board), indicating compliance with the 2008 SPS Code for an anticipated increase of the number of persons on-board
• Service notations for tugs and escort tugs - indications for the design values of bollard pull, steering/braking force and speed, in combination with operating area notations for restricted operations as applicable, i.e. for harbour tugs or coastal tugs

Feedback, from international cross-industry projects and working such as SafeTug and a range of IMO groups focused on stability for towing, anchor handling, lifting operations and supply operations, has been incorporated into the new rules.

The rules entered into force on July 1st 2017 as described in a new booklet (NR467-E), which is now part of the Rules for the Classification of Steel Ships.