MOL car carrier is first ship to gain ClassNK remote survey notation

Certificate was presented at an on-line ceremony. Top left: Yoshinori Kozeki, Corporate Officer, ClassNK. Top right: Takakage Imai, President, MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd. Bottom left: Satoshi Fujii, General Manager, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. Bottom right: Master of M/V Orca Ace, Capt. Sergey Nichiporenko.

The Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (MOL) car carrier Orca Ace, operated by MOL and managed by MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd. is the first vessel to be awarded ClassNK’s Remote Survey (RMSV) notation, which recognizes the vessel’s preparedness for implementing remote surveys.

The Orca Ace uses ICT (Information Communications Technology) to enable surveyors to inspect the vessel using video filmed by crew members. Apart from eliminating contacts during a pandemic, this also gives savings in surveyors’ time and travel costs.

MOL’s “Project for Establishing a System to Visualize onboard environments utilizing ICT” was selected by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) as part of the ministry’s projects for “MLIT R&D Support Projects for Advanced Safety Technology of Vessels,” and MOL has undertaken joint research studies with ClassNK that led to the acquisition of the RMSV notation.

ClassNK published Version 2.0 of its Guidelines for Remote Surveys in January 2021, presenting transparent standards for remote survey application and ensuring a reliability equivalent to conventional witnessed surveys. Version 2.0, includes a revision to include class notation requirements for ships with advance preparation for remote surveys, such as procedures to be followed by crew members.

ClassNK carried out its verification of the Orca Ace in line with these guidelines and, on satisfactory completion of its document/plan examination and an on-site survey, added its first RMSV notation to Orca Ace’s classification.