The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced the publication of ISO 20519, a new standard for the safe bunkering of ships with liquefied natural gas (LNG).
“Some ships in northern Europe have been using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their fuel source for over a decade, with an extremely good safety record. But as the use of LNG-fuelled vessels spreads to other parts of the world and many more parties become involved, there is a clear need to standardise LNG bunkering operations at the international level,” explained ISO.
“A new ISO standard will ensure LNG-fuelled vessels can bunker in a safe and sustainable way.”
ISO 20519 contains requirements that are not covered by the IGC Code, including hardware, operational procedures, the requirement for the LNG provider to provide an LNG bunker delivery note, training and qualifications of personnel, and requirements for LNG facilities to meet applicable ISO standards and local codes.
“The requirements of ISO 20519 can be incorporated as a management objective into existing management programmes and provide verifiable compliance,” said Steve O’Malley, the convener of TC 8 working group WG 8 that developed the standard.
“The requirement to comply with ISO standards is often incorporated into business contracts and may also be referenced by local regulations.”
As LNG as a marine fuel is relatively new, ISO notes that the standard will need to be updated periodically to incorporate lessons learned over time and technological changes.
In order to accomplish this, ISO has created a group to track LNG bunkering incidents and help identify when updates to the standard should be carried out.
In November, ISO published ISO 19030, which sets standards and methods for measuring hull and propeller performance, and defines performance indicators for hull and propeller maintenance, repair, and retrofit activities.
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Source: ISO
