N Ueda News

Japan will divert some liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to Europe after requests from the United States and the European Union, the industry minister said on Wednesday, a step that aligns the country with the West as tensions flare with Russia.Concern has mounted over the possible disruption of supplies from Russia, Europe's biggest gas provider, following the buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine and heightened tensions between Moscow and the West.The extra shipments are expected to arrive next month, minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters."We have decided to respond to requests from the United States and EU for sending LNG to Europe, where gas supply is tight," Hagiuda said after separately meeting with the U.S.

The Nippon Foundation, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, and Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. have informed they've completed a demonstration test of what the companies say is the world’s first fully autonomous ship navigation systems on a large car ferry, conducted on the Iyonada Sea from Shinmoji, Kitakyushu City, on January 17.The demonstration was part of MEGURI 2040, a project promoting the development of fully autonomous vessels supported by The Nippon Foundation. "This test demonstrated the world’s first fully autonomous navigation system…

A landmark celebration has officially opened the onshore LNG processing facilities of INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG – one of the largest and most complex resource developments in the world.Japanese, Australian and Northern Territory government representatives unveiled a plaque to commemorate four decades of future benefits Ichthys LNG will bring to the Northern Territory, Australia, Japan and the region.Symbolising the collaboration inherent in global enterprises on the scale of Ichthys LNG, Mr Hiroshige Sekō, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham, Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator the Hon. Matthew Canavan, Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia and The Hon.

Current Executive Vice President Koichi Fujiwara has been appointed as Chairman and President as well as a Representative Director of classification society ClassNK, effective March 7, 2016. Current Executive Vice Presidents Yasushi Nakamura and Tetsuya Kinoshita will continue in their present roles on the team, joined by Junichiro Iida as Managing Director. Noboru Ueda has stepped down as Representative Director, Chairman and President. Current Executive Vice President Tetsushi Agata has been appointed as an Executive Auditor as part of the Society’s aim to strengthen its auditing system.

The fleet performance management and optimization system ClassNK-NAPA GREEN jointly developed by leading classification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) and maritime-software, services and data analysis company NAPA has been introduced to a newbuilding by Namura Shipbuilding. The move was spearheaded by Namura Shipbuilding based on the shipowner’s acceptance. ClassNK-NAPA GREEN collects voyage data from the VDR, data logger and other onboard devices and provides high precision performance analysis through its self-learning Dynamic Performance Model. Namura Shipbuilding’s introduction of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN aims to use voyage data and performance analysis of actual voyage speed, draft and full cargo load performance to provide feedback for optimized ship design.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced the delivery of the new woodchip carrier, C.S. Bright, which has a cargo hold capacity of about 4.3 million cubic feet, at Mizushima Shipyard of Sanoyas Shipbuilding Corporation (President: Takashi Ueda; Head Office: Osaka). Following the delivery ceremony, the vessel left to take on a cargo of wood chips in Australia for Hokuetsu Kishu Paper Co., Ltd. The C.S. Bright was designed with a shallow draft while maximizing cargo hold capacity to allow efficient loading of wood chips, which are lightweight and take up a relatively large amount of space. It also features environmental-friendly specifications to cut CO2 emissions, such as a rudder bulb fin to enhance propulsion efficiency and low-friction ship-bottom paint.

PRESS RELEASE --  Classification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) announced that it released amendments to its Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships on 25 December 2015, including structural strength requirements of container carriers. In response to a large container ship casualty in June 2013, ClassNK established The Investigative Panel on Large Container Ship Safety, which comprised of shipbuilders, shipping companies, and people with relevant knowledge and experience, to investigate the possibility of casualty occurrence and the structural safety of large container carriers. The results…

Leading classification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) has opened a new exclusive survey office in Charleston, USA with operations beginning 1 January 2016. Charleston is a major port city located in South Carolina and home to one of the fastest growing ports in the USA. It has the deepest channels in the southeast region and plans are underway to increase its depth to 52 feet by 2019 to accommodate the ever-increasing size of containerships. Once the project is complete, Charleston will become the deepest harbor on the east coast. The Charleston office joins an expanding network of ClassNK survey offices along the coast including in New York, Norfolk and Miami.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced that it has started a demonstration test of a next-generation condition-based engine monitoring system called “CMAXS e-GICSX” (electronic Global Internet Customer Support neXt)  aboard the recently delivered methanol carrier MAYARO. MOL is conducting the test in cooperation with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK; Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MES; President: Takao Tanaka; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo), and MES Technoservice Co., Ltd. (Managing Director: Shinichi Fukuda; Headquarters: Tamano-shi, Okayama). The system relies on early detection of abnormalities in the electronically controlled engine to ensure correct preventive maintenance and reduce life cycle costs.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced that it has started a demonstration test of a next-generation condition-based engine monitoring system called “CMAXS e-GICSX” (electronic Global Internet Customer Support neXt)(*1) aboard the recently delivered methanol carrier MAYARO. MOL is conducting the test in cooperation with Nippon KaijiKyokai  Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and MES Technoservice Co., Ltd. The system relies on early detection of abnormalities in the electronically controlled engine to ensure correct preventive maintenance and reduce life cycle costs. MOL centrally collects big data gathered from its operated vessels…

Evergreen Line has commenced installation of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN software on chartered container vessels. At the conclusion of a competitive tender process, ClassNK-NAPA GREEN software - developed by NAPA, global maritime software house and classification society ClassNK - was chosen to provide a total solution for planning, monitoring and optimizing ship operations. Enabling greater understanding of the operation of its chartered fleet to improve efficiency is the key driver behind the adoption of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, the developer said.

Announcing its registration totals for 2014, ClassNK said 833 new vessels with a combined total of 21,466,272 gt joined its register over the course of the year, marking the fourth straight year that the classification society registered over 20 million in new tonnage. ClassNK noted that its growth in 2014 comes in spite of a global downturn in the market which has seen newbuilding deliveries fall by an estimated 15% according to Clarkson Research Services. Led by continued strength in the newbuilding markets, ClassNK registered a total of 548 newbuildings with a combined total of over 16 million gt, or more than 25% of all newly built tonnage in 2014 based on Clarkson’s figures.

ClassNK releases updates to its Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements. Classification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) has released the second edition of its Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements. The update comes in response to recent industry changes as the amount and size of container carriers increases more than ever before. Last year, the average size newly delivered containership was over 7,000TEU and various…

ClassNK Chairman and President Noboru Ueda successfully fulfilled his term as Chairman of the Association of Asian Classification Societies (ACS) at the end of 2014, a position which he held from 1 January 2014. During his one-year tenure, Mr. Ueda was engaged in the following activities with a view to enhancing ACS’ operations and contributing to the Asian maritime industry. Mr. Ueda established a policy to reinforce the approach to discussions at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), so that more and more balanced international regulations would be developed with the voices of Asian maritime industry professionals reflected.

Leading classification society ClassNK announced that its register topped 230 million gross tons for the first time at the end November 2014. The announcement was made following a meeting of the Society’s Classification Committee, which certified that the NK Register listed 8,826 vessels totaling 231.34 million gross tons at the end of November 2014. As ClassNK finished 2013 with some 220.9 million gross tons on its register, the achievement means that ClassNK has added a net total of more than 10 million gross tons to its register in the first 11 months of the year, continuing the leading classification society’s stunning growth over the past several years.

Accessing the latest research findings or information on new technologies and incoming regulations as they emerge can prove challenging. To help make access easier, leading classification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) announced the release of its technical review articles through the ClassNK homepage. This comes in response to the growing demand from the global maritime community for access to the latest technical information reports and articles. ClassNK’s technical experts review a wide variety of topics covering new international conventions, technical concepts as well as the latest R&D projects, which are compiled and released in regular reviews.

Vessel performance monitoring and optimization solution ClassNK-NAPA GREEN was named the maritime industry’s top IT system by earning the IT Solutions Award at the International Bulk Journal (IBJ) Awards held at the Beurs-World Trade Center in Rotterdam on 17 November. The software solution, developed jointly by leading classification society ClassNK and leading global maritime software company NAPA, was recognized both as an advanced technical achievement and for reductions in fuel costs it has helped achieve and validate on actual vessels in service. Held annually by the International Bulk Journal, the IBJ Awards recognize companies and individuals for their contributions to the bulk cargo sector and wider maritime industry in a variety of categories including environmental protection…

Leading classification society ClassNK has announced the expansion of its Veracruz Office in order to better support the growing offshore oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. The expansion will increase the survey capabilities and management of the Veracruz office in response to growing demand from the offshore sector in the region. The liberalization of Mexico’s offshore industry is driving increased interest in Mexico’s growing offshore sector. Over the past year, a number of major vessel operators have increased the size of their fleets in the region to take advantage of new exploration and production opportunities. ClassNK is expanding its operations in the region to support these efforts.

Leading classification society ClassNK has received authorization from Transport Canada to carry out statutory surveys on Canadian-flagged vessels on behalf of the Government of Canada. ClassNK has maintained a presence in Canada since the establishment of its Vancouver Office in 1995, now one of nine exclusive survey offices maintained by ClassNK across the North American region. As a result of the authorization ClassNK will now be able to carry out surveys, audits, and issue certificates for SOLAS, MARPOL, Load Line and other international conventions for Canadian-flagged vessels. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman and President Noboru Ueda said: “This authorization reflects the rapid growth of our activities in North America and in Canada in particular.

Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda of ClassNK announced the establishment of a new Renewable Energy Department. This new department which began operations on 1 October 2014 will oversee a diverse range of activities related to renewable energy, including audits and certification of new technologies. While ClassNK has previously provided certification for wind turbines, vast technological advances have made it possible to practically harness the power of alternative energy sources such as wave power, tidal power, and ocean thermal energy conversion. Given the enormous potential of the ocean as a source of energy and the ever-increasing demand for cleaner energy to mitigate climate change…

Classification society ClassNK announced that it will join a new European Joint R&D project to ensure bulk carrier safety. The project, called LiquefAction, aims to better understand the physical properties of cargo liquefaction in order to prevent bulk carrier casualties and is being carried out by a consortium of Europe’s top research institutions, including Germany’s Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt (HSVA) and Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), as well as France’s  Ecole Central de Nantes (ECN) and the Institute of Science and Technology for Transport…

Noboru Ueda, Chairman and President of ClassNK attended the delivery ceremony for the M/T Al Yarmouk, constructed at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (DSME) and delivered to Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. S.A.K. (KOTC) in Geoje, Korea on August 25, 2014. The 317,300DWT very large crude carrier (VLCC), named the M/T Al Yarmouk following its delivery to KOTC, was built as Hull No. 5391 at DSME under ClassNK Rules and Regulations and in line with KOTC’s strict standards on safety and environmental performance.

First company to receive ISO50001 certification from Nihon Kaiji Kyokai. MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd. (MOLSHIP), a core ship management company in the corporate group headed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), has announced acquisition of certifications from Nihon Kaiji Kyokai (NK; Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda), for Energy Management Systems (ISO50001*1) and Environmental Management Systems (ISO14001*2). NK Executive Vice President Koichi Fujiwara presented the certificates to MOLSHIP President Furukawa in July 29 ceremony at NK headquarters.