DNV GL – Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen announced the classification society had awarded a new class notation to mitigate fire risks on container ships to MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
The notation has been implemented on the largest container ships in the world, the 23,000+ TEU MSC Gülsün class.
The new FCS notation is targeted exclusively towards container ships. It is designed around a function-based approach, for an enhanced safety level beyond present SOLAS requirements, an increased hazard awareness, and an enhanced ability to detect and fight container fires.
The new notations will be applicable to both newbuildings and ships in operation.
“In shipping, we must always have safety at the forefront of our thinking,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO, DNV GL – Maritime. “As we move forward in design and in operation, becoming more sustainable and more efficient, safety must still underpin every decision.”
“Container fires, especially with the volume of cargo now being carried, can present a substantial risk to the safety of the crew, cargo and the vessel. This is why MSC decided to install new dual-tower fire-fighting system with high-capacity pumps to further enhance the safety of seafarers onboard and protect cargo carried across the whole deck of the ship,” explained Giuseppe Gargiulo, Head of Newbuildings, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
The FCS notations have been developed and piloted in cooperation with MSC, and their 23,000+ TEU MSC Gülsün class are the first vessels to be awarded the notations.
