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SCMP Reporter

THE American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has extended Safehull, its design and assessment system for new tankers, to existing tankers, according to Business Times.

  The US-based classification society launched Safehull last September at a cost of more than US$4 million to focus on the design of tankers.

    Last month, ABS introduced Safehull Condition Assessment Services for existing tankers to help owners evaluate the condition of a ship's structure and identify its weak spots.

    The core Safehull system for newbuildings uses basic engineering principles and ABS class criteria to help designers, builders and owners improve safety and lengthen the life of new tankers.

    It tests a ship's design for potential failures such as yielding, buckling and fatigue - the main weaknesses of new vessels in the past 15 to 20 years.

   Todd Grove, Singapore-based director of technology and business development for ABS Pacific, says society officials toured the Far East in October to launch Safehull for new tankers.

   Besides presentations and seminars, ABS introduced the system to major Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese yards that build tankers of more than 40,000 dwt.

   The society gathered from the tour that its clients were interested in a similar system for existing vessels.

    ''There's a lot of construction going on, but you have to look at what's being built now, compared to what's already out there,'' said Mr Grove.

  ''There are about 400 very large crude carriers sailing today that could benefit from Safehull's assessment services.''     He said: ''In Singapore, the Safehull Condition Assessment Services actually make up a much bigger market than the new-construction software.

    ''Safehull's new-construction software is offered to designers and builders as a tool to assist them during the development of a new design,'' said Mr Grove.

    ''But the Safehull assessment services are targeted at owners, operators, charterers and underwriters - people who have a vested interest in the current or future condition of a vessel.''     ABS Marine Services will feed data on the thickness of a ship's hull through the Safehull system to evaluate the vessel's structural condition, identify critical areas and make recommendations for repairs and maintenance.

    The evaluation will be completed in 15 days at a cost of US$17,000.

    According to Mr Grove, owners say the assessment service may make their tankers more marketable, while oil majors and other charterers are interested in using it to screen potential vessels.

    The service could also support proposals for a two-tier classification system for tankers based on quality and safety guidelines, he said.

    ABS will begin marketing Safehull and its Condition Assessment Services in Singapore this month.

    ABS Pacific is one of the society's three main divisions.

  The others are ABS Americas and ABS Europe.

  The Singapore-based Pacific office covers Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

    In Singapore, ABS is involved mostly in post-construction services and the classification of new ships.

    The society plans to extend Safehull to smaller tankers, bulk carriers and container ships.



US scheme to extend life of old tankers