ClassNK Releases New Guidance for Large Containerships Following MOL Comfort Loss

International classification society ClassNK has released new guidance for large containerships more than two years after the loss of the MOL Comfort in the Indian Ocean in June 2013.

The draft amendments address hull girder strength with consideration to the effect of lateral loads and whipping, as well as amends direct strength calculations for container ships and longitudinal strength. The rules are scheduled to apply to container ships contracted for construction on or after April 1, 2016.

The amendments were drafted based on the results of investigation reports by The Investigative Panel on Large Container Ship Safety and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Committee, as well as the adoption the new Longitudinal Strength Standard for Container Ships (Unified Requirement S11A) and Functional Requirements on Load Cases for Strength Assessment of Container Ships by Finite Element Analysis (Unified Requirement S34) by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).

The MOL Comfort is considering the biggest containership loss in history. The 8,000 TEU containership was sank after breaking in two in the Indian Ocean in June 2013.

The draft amendments were approved by the ClassNk Technical Committee in Tokyo on November 19th and will come into effect after approval from ClassNK’s Board of Directors.