ClassNK granted an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. for their concept design of a 180,000 DWT LPG dual-fuelled bulk carrier developed in cooperation with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The AiP was granted to the concept design based on the Societyâs Guidelines for Ships Using Low-Flashpoint Fuels and its Rule Part GF incorporating âInternational Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code)â?, the current IMO Res. MSC.391(95) and the MSC.458(101) revision planned for release in 2024.
The main features of the design announced by Imabari Shipbuilding are alternative fuels besides LNG (Methanol/Ethanol/LPG) have lower flashpoints compared to traditional fuels, to decrease the potential risk of fire and explosions that may arise as a result of fuel leakage onboard the ship. International safety requirements for low-flashpoint fuels have been discussed at IMO and as a result, the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) has been adopted and enforced.
