DNV GL Offers Free Sulfur SIP

Global certification body, DNV GL offers a free web-based application of the Ship Implementation Plan (SIP) to prepare for 2020 0.5% sulfur cap.

The ship owners and managers can use the SIP to prepare vessel-specific SIPs and maintain an overview of their fleet, said a press release.

While not mandatory, the SIP is an IMO guidance which all ships are encouraged to prepare and implement to be ready for 1 January 2020.

“As we approach 2020, good preparation will be essential to ensure a smooth transition into using compliant low-sulfur fuels,” said Christos Chryssakis, Business Development Manager at DNV GL – Maritime.

“This includes technical actions, such as hardware upgrades, tank cleaning, and a fuel changeover plan, but also commercial preparations like updating charter party clauses and agreements between owners and charterers on how to best prepare each vessel to minimize operational disruptions. It is important to build flexibility into the plans, to make sure ships are prepared for using different types of compliant fuels, depending on their availability,” Christos added.

DNV GL’s web-based SIP application is a user-friendly way to prepare such plans. It is easy to update and offers operators an overview of their whole fleet. One of the benefits of the app is that it enables several users to work on a single vessel – allowing coordination between onshore and onboard personnel.

The SIP application is free of charge and available in the market place of Veracity, DNV GL's digital platform and industry ecosystem. More than 300 shipping companies are already using the SIP app with over 1,700 vessels registered and actively preparing their Ship Implementation Plans.

DNV GL also supports shipping companies in the development of SIPs by offering risk assessment workshops, by reviewing their SIPs, and offering remote verification of tank cleaning.

The SIP is not a mandatory requirement, but port state control (PSC) may consider the preparatory actions described in the SIP when verifying compliance. It should cover risk assessment and a mitigation plan on the impact of new fuels, fuel oil system modifications and tank cleaning, fuel oil capacity and segregation capability, procurement of compliant fuel, a fuel oil changeover plan (conventional residual fuel oils to 0.50% sulfur compliant fuel oil), and documentation and reporting.

DNV GL also recommends supplementing the plan by documenting any actions taken to ensure compliance. This can help to track progress and can be used to prove compliance in the event of a PSC inspection.