23. Dec. 2011 | GL certifies Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Service Providers Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has attested to the compliance of “Jebsens Maritime, Inc.” and “Selandia Crew Management Philippines Inc.” with the recruitment and placement requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006). The attestation certifies that the two companies conform to the standards set forth in Regulation 1.4 of the MLC 2006. The certificates were officially handed over to both companies during a ceremony at their headquarters in Manila at the end of October this year. more

22. Dec. 2011 | Germanischer Lloyd accredited for Energy Management Systems certification Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has been accredited by DAkkS (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle), the national accreditation body for the Federal Republic of Germany, to provide worldwide certification of energy management systems according to DIN EN ISO 50001:2011. more

16. Dec. 2011 | Compact, Concise, Comprehensive: GL launches Pocket Guide for MLC 2006 With a sweeping reach and wide ranging application the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006) will have a significant impact on shipowners, managers, crewing agencies and most importantly the seafarers on-board. At its entry into force the MLC 2006 will alter some 37 ILO conventions and require the certification of over 55,000 seagoing vessels. Preparing for this sea change will require a massive adjustment. To support the maritime industry in this endeavour Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has developed an easy to use Pocket Guide on the MLC 2006. more

13. Dec. 2011 | LNG Solutions for Large Container Vessels the Focus of GL and IHIMU Joint Development Project LNG as ship fuel is already a proven alternative for short sea shipping, but what about the primary engine of global trade - the boxship? To investigate and develop solutions for large LNG fuelled container vessels classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and IHI Marine United Inc. (IHIMU) signed an agreement for a joint development project (JDP). more

13. Dec. 2011 | GL: Five Stars for Ernst Russ The shipping company Ernst Russ strives continuously for the highest quality, safety and environmental standards in shipping; in recognition of this it has now been awarded the "GL Excellence – 5 Stars" certificate by classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL). more

2. Dec. 2011 | GL Exchange Forum: Scrubber Technology Pressure on the shipping industry to reduce the air emissions from vessels grows day by day. Regulations to more strictly limit the sulphur content in marine fuel are in place and set to tighten over the coming year. Exhaust gas scrubbers are one solution for vessels to meet such limits over the coming years and to discuss the use of this technology Germanischer Lloyd (GL) recently held an exchange forum at their Head Office in Hamburg more

25. Nov. 2011 | GL Updates Rules for Inland Navigation Vessels To ensure the continuing safety and promote the efficiency of inland waterway transport, Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has released an update to the GL Rules for Inland Navigation Vessels (INV). The update to the rules came into effect on 1 November 2011 and consists of rules for: classification and surveys; hull design and construction; machinery, systems and electricity; and additional requirements for notations. more

23. Nov. 2011 | World’s first LNG fuelled product tanker now in service The “Bit Viking” is the world’s first vessel in service whose main machinery has been converted to burn LNG as fuel. She is also the largest commercial vessel which is not an LNG tanker, to use LNG as fuel. After the conversion which was undertaken under the supervision of classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL), the 25,000 dwt product tanker successfully completed sea trials. Owned by Sweden’s Tarbit Shipping, “Bit Viking” now qualifies for lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission taxes under the Norwegian government’s NOx fund scheme, due to substantial reductions in her carbon emissions. more

3. Nov. 2011 | New Chairman for Naval Ship Classification Association The Naval Ship Classification Association (NSCA) has elected Lorenz Petersen, Germanischer Lloyd’s Business Segment Manager for Navy Vessels, as Chairman of the Association, at their annual general meeting in Rome. more

31. Oct. 2011 | DSME and GL offer first-ever solution to LNG-fuelled large container vessels LNG, as a promising fuel alternative, has not been used for container vessels. DSME and Germanischer Lloyd (GL) have proved the feasibility of running large container vessels on LNG in a recently completed joint project. At a press conference held during the Kormarine Trade Fair in Busan, both parties announced the progress they have made towards developing LNG-fuelled large container vessels. GL has recently finished approval in Principle of a 14,000TEU LNG-fuelled container vessel for DSME. more

11. Oct. 2011 | Seal of Approval for Caterpillar Marine Dealer Network Caterpillar Marine Power Systems has contracted Germanischer Lloyd (GL) to certify the Marine Service Assessments (MSA) of its worldwide marine dealer network. The network consists of independent companies which provide sales services, commercial and technical support, as well as maintenance and repair of marine diesel engines and generator sets. Caterpillar® will use GL’s MSA certification as the basis for standardising Caterpillar dealer after sales performance and quality worldwide in an effort to improve end-user satisfaction on a global scale. more

26. Sep. 2011 | GL Issues ISM/ISPS Certificate for 5000th Vessel GL celebrated the hand-over of the Safety Management Certificate and International Ship Security Certificate to the MV KOTA BERKAT. The Kota Berkat, owned by Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd (PIL) and managed by Apex Ship Management, is the 5000th vessel sailing with ISM and ISPS certificate issued by GL as a Recognized Organization (RO) and being periodically audited for compliance. This marks an important milestone for the GL Group and its new service delivery section “GL Systems Certification” which has recently been established to offer both marine and non-marine management systems certification, including certification according to the ISM-/ISPS-Code, ISO standards, and the upcoming Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. more

23. Sep. 2011 | Emissions Control, Ship Efficiency top Agenda at GL North American Committee Meeting The introduction of new emissions control areas (ECA) off the coastal waters of the US and Canada promise great changes for shipping in the region. These regulations coloured many of the topics discussed at the North American Committee of Germanischer Lloyd (GL), which met at the Hotel Delta in Quebec City this week. The Committee examined such topics as GL’s activities, both globally and in the Americas, ship efficiency, the rising importance of natural gas for the maritime industry, the technical challenges facing shipping in reducing emissions and upcoming regulations. more

15. Sep. 2011 | 34th GL Hellas Committee – 100 Million GT Celebrated, Container Shipping in Focus The Hellas Committee of Germanischer Lloyd (GL) met today at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens. The 34th meeting of the committee had a festive tone with GL celebrating topping the 100 million GT mark with its fleet in service. New design trends in container shipping, the recent adoption of new energy efficiency measures by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the current trends in the Greek maritime industry were also featured in presentations. more

13. Sep. 2011 | Hamburg Süd and Germanischer Lloyd join forces to develop emission management system Hamburg Süd and the classification society Germanischer Lloyd are jointly developing an innovative data management system for systematically capturing all environmentally relevant ship operation information. The future “GL Emission Manager” will permit detailed evaluation and analysis of all relevant data of the entire fleet. more

5. Sep. 2011 | Growth in ship classification – GL counts 100 million GT classified Classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL) fleet under classification now exceeds 100 million GT (gross tonnage). GL has currently more than 7,200 ships from over 1,900 shipping companies worldwide under regular technical supervision. “We have been able to double the fleet in class over the last six years,” explains Erik van der Noordaa, CEO of the GL Group, “and we want to have achieved the next 10 million GT by the end of next year.” more

1. Sep. 2011 | GL supports “Rainbow Warrior” on its new mission in Bangladesh Germanischer Lloyd (GL) is supporting “Rainbow Warrior II” to perform its philanthropic mission in Bangladesh after the vessel was transferred as a medical ship from the Greenpeace International to a Bangladesh-based NGO Friendship. GL has recently signed an agreement with Friendship to offer free-of-charge classification services for a period of five years. more

1. Sep. 2011 | GL Award for Young Professionals The classifications society Germanischer Lloyd (GL) rewarded three young engineers for their outstanding diploma theses. For the 2010 Award engineering students were asked to submit theses on “Innovative Ideas for Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Ships”. Torsten Schramm, Chief Operating Officer of the GL Group, presented the prizes to the deserving winners of the GL Award for Young Professionals 2010 at the Maritime Summer Meeting in Kiel. more

31. Aug. 2011 | GL Exchange Forum - Report on MEPC's 62nd session The subject of Carbon Dioxide dominates the future of many industries today. Whether it be the Shipping, Automotive, Aviation, or Power Generation industries the questions of how to account for, reduce, produce, capture and minimise the impact of Carbon Dioxide generated by that industry is seldom left out of the discussion. So it was Germanischer Lloyd’s traditional recap of the latest session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of International Maritime Organization (IMO), focused on the groundbreaking developments at the 62nd session. more

30. Aug. 2011 | Antigua and Barbuda authorises GL for MLC 2006 Inspection and Certification The maritime administration of Antigua and Barbuda has authorised Germanischer Lloyd (GL) to carry out inspection and certification services under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006). more

29. Aug. 2011 | MSC Savona equipped with GL SeaScout GL SeaScout 2.0 has been installed on board the MSC SAVONA, Reederei Claus-Peter Offen’s 14,000 TEU containership. GL Maritime Software’s navigational decision-making support system will help the vessel to optimise routing; minimising voyage costs while maintaining safe passage, however seaway and weather conditions might vary. more

19. Aug. 2011 | Inland Waterway Vessels the focus for new GL appointees Germanischer Lloyd has appointed a new Business Development Manager (BDM), Tom Dorsman, and a dedicated Technical Coordinator, Ruben Roeleveld, specialising in Inland Marine. more

11. Aug. 2011 | Norddeutsche Reederei H. Schuldt and Germanischer Lloyd launch global cooperation Norddeutsche Reederei H. Schuldt (NRS) and Germanischer Lloyd (GL) signed a global cooperation agreement today covering all areas of classification as well as flag state supervision of the ships of Norddeutsche Reederei H. Schuldt sailing under GL class. more

11. Aug. 2011 | GL launches E-learning tool for Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 As the date of entry into force of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006) rapidly approaches, shipowners, managers, crewing agencies and seafarers are starting to familiarise themselves with the new requirements. To support the maritime industry in this Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has developed a comprehensive E-Learning tool for the MLC 2006 in CD form, the first such tool covering the convention. more

29. Jul. 2011 | GL Updates Environmental Passport The process of protecting the environment is one of continual improvement, there is always more that can be done to reduce the impact from industry on the environment. GL’s Environmental Passport (EP) has become recognised as a useful mechanism for operators to signal the advanced environmental features of their vessels, which are emerging as a key factor in maintaining competitive fitness in an increasingly crowded market. more

1. Jul. 2011 | Germanischer Lloyd: New operational structure reinforces client focus GL Group announces a number of changes in the management structure of its Maritime Services organisation. The new operational structure is designed to further enhance GL’s focus on customer demand and reinforce the service orientation of the classification society. more

29. Jun. 2011 | GL Forum: “Latest Developments for Passenger Vessels - Design and Operation”. When the Queen Mary 2 leaves Hamburg Harbour, for a viewer standing at ground level she literally fills the horizon. Cruise ships and passenger vessels are not only incredibly large, however, but incredibly complex, with a multitude of systems in place to ensure safety, provide comfort and maintain operation. more

17. Jun. 2011 | GL Exchange Forum - “Towards a Cleaner Maritime Industry” In a world increasingly dominated by the need to reduce environmental impacts, what role does shipping have to play? How can the industry best meet the challenges of reducing emissions, increasing efficiency, and minimising impacts? These themes were reflected in the presentations and the discussion at the GL Exchange Forum “Towards a Cleaner Maritime Industry” held at the Maritime Museum Hamburg yesterday. more

16. Jun. 2011 | GL at H2 Expo - Fuel Cells for Shipping: Clean, Quiet and on the Horizon. Hydrogen and Fuel Cell technology have long promised an alternative to traditional propulsion and energy systems. The H2 Expo held in the Hamburg Messe over the 8th and 9th of June looked at the latest trends in the industry, identified the most market ready products, and examined the application of these technologies over a wide range of industries. Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has a long involvement in the research of fuel cells and the use of hydrogen in shipping, so the involvement of GL experts at the Expo was no surprise. more

14. Jun. 2011 | GL expands Customer Service in Scandinavia Two new Business Development Managers join the team in Copenhagen and Gothenburg. more

3. Jun. 2011 | GL on top for safety – US Coast Guard releases Annual Port State Control Report The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has published its Annual Port State Control (PSC) Report and Annual Class Performance List for 2010. Germanischer Lloyd (GL) is again in the top performing group with a detention ratio of 0%. In over 1,000 distinct vessel arrivals there was no determination of class responsibility in any USCG detention of GL classed vessels. more

3. Jun. 2011 | Increased Savings, Reduced Impacts – GL Energy Efficiency Forum Madrid The coming introduction of the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) regulations was very much on the minds of the speakers and participants of Germanischer Lloyd’s (GL) "Energy Efficiency for Existing Vessels" forum in Madrid. The SEEMP is one of a number of regulations and guidelines which will see the maritime industry squarely confront their impact on the environment and the measures they must take to reduce it. more

31. May. 2011 | Five stars for shipowner E.R. Schiffahrt Germanischer Lloyd presents GL Excellence certificate. more

26. May. 2011 | To Cut Downtime and Costs – Expert Cooperation for Machinery Condition Monitoring Scheduled but unnecessary maintenance results in lost ship and man hours. To prevent these losses GL Maritime Software has developed a dedicated condition-based maintenance software for machinery - GL MachineryManager. more

25. May. 2011 | GL Wins 4 Suezmax Tankers “Nordic Apollo”, “Nordic Cosmos” and “Nordic Moon” are now in service with GL classification, „Nordic Neptun“ will follow soon. The four Suezmax tankers from Norwegian shipowner “Nordic American Tanker Shipping” (NAT) have been transferred to GL class. more

25. May. 2011 | Condition Monitoring key to hull lifecycle management Condition monitoring for hull and machinery can generate great advantages for shipping lines. Switching to need based maintenance schedules can reduce downtime and increase vessel profitability by preventing unnecessary maintenance, offering early warning of equipment failure and avoiding misguided maintenance. more

24. May. 2011 | Advanced ship design exceeds EEDI requirement Germanischer Lloyd has developed a design concept for a crude oil tanker with improved energy efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions, increased cargo capacity, and minimized oil outflow in case of an accident. more

19. May. 2011 | TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING introduces FRIENDSHIP-Framework After a successful evaluation period and software implementation Japan’s progressive shipbuilders introduce simulation-driven design on the basis of FRIENDSHIP SYSTEMS’ computer aided engineering environment. more

12. May. 2011 | GL debuts Korean language corporate website Busan/Hamburg – Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has for nearly 35 years used its technical expertise and knowledge to serve the Korean shipbuilding community. A recently-launched Korean language sub-site, hopes to further strengthen that connection by providing clients in Korea with the latest updates on GL’s classification and maritime services. more

5. May. 2011 | Denis Morais receives GL COMPIT Award 2011 Denis Morais is the winner of this year’s GL COMPIT Award. At the COMPIT Conference taking place this week in Berlin, the Canadian IT expert was honoured for his contributions to promote frontier technologies in shipbuilding. The award is sponsored by classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL). more

4. May. 2011 | Model Booklet for Ballast Water Management Plan published Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has released a booklet on standard operational guidance for the planning and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments. more

4. May. 2011 | GL has certified Antigua and Barbuda Flag State Administration according ISO 9001 On behalf of Germanischer Lloyd, Vice President GL North and Central America Stephen Gumpel handed over the certificate to the Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS), in the presence of the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and three members of Cabinet in addition to members of the ADOMS team. more

3. May. 2011 | GL bolsters support of green ship recycling in Asia Hamburg/Shanghai - Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has recently intensified its efforts to help shipyards, ship owners, suppliers and recycling facilities in Asia to comply with the forthcoming International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (“Hong Kong Convention”). Two well-trained GL ship recycling experts are now stationed in China and Singapore respectively, offering all stakeholders a full range of services including certification, consultancy and tailored training. more

26. Apr. 2011 | COMPIT STARTS IN 6 DAYS IN BERLN - Product Data Models, Advanced Simulation and Social Computing COMPIT 2011 discusses IT Trends in Design and Operation for the Maritime Industry more

21. Apr. 2011 | COMPIT STARTS IN 11 DAYS IN BERLN - Product Data Models, Advanced Simulation and Social Computing 21 April 2011 - For the tenth time the Conference for Computer and IT applications in the Maritime Industry (COMPIT) will take place in May in Berlin. 50 presentations from the maritime and IT industry as well as key research groups from academia will discuss latest trends. The anniversary event expects more than 80 experts from almost 20 countries. more

17. Mar. 2011 | Client Information: Fleet in Service activities in Japan limited Due to the current situation in Japan, Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has limited its services for ships in service in the North of Japan. more

16. Mar. 2011 | Client information: GL operations in Japan Germanischer Lloyd (GL) would like to express its whole hearted sympathy with the Japanese people who cope with a three fold catastrophe of a previously unknown magnitude. GL is ready to maintain its services for its Japanese clients in the maritime industry. Due to the radiation risk from the Fukushima Daiichi reactors GL has relocated the majority of its staff to Southern parts of the country for safety reasons. more

11. Mar. 2011 | Hellenic Technical Committee: Advanced ship designs for safer, cleaner, and more efficient shipping Athens/Greece – The annual Hellenic Technical Committee Meeting of Germanischer Lloyd (GL) discussed technical implications and commercial benefits of using gas as ship fuel. According to Mr. Torsten Schramm, Chief Operating Officer of Germanischer Lloyd, the global availability and low emissions make gas a more favourable source of energy for the main propulsion in shipping. more

7. Mar. 2011 | Panama Flag accepts GL’s Extended Dry Docking Programme Panama City, Panama / Hamburg, Germany – The Panama Maritime Authority has authorized Germanischer Lloyd (GL) to offer its extended dry docking (EDD) programme for vessels under the flag of Panama. The flag of Panama acknowledges the technological advancements to make environmentally safe in-water inspections and maintenance and reflects improvements in corrosion resistant materials, including the endurance and effectiveness of coating technology. more

8. Feb. 2011 | FLAGSHIP partners with GL to Reduce Fleet-Wide Fuel Consumption Dr. Gerd Würsig, deputy head of department at Germanischer Lloyd Environmental Research and project manager for FLAGSHIP-EEM said: “FLAGSHIP-EEM makes energy monitoring possible without the need to install highly accurate fuel flow meters. It is also unnecessary to access proprietary engine data which manufacturers are generally unwilling to disclose – this is a significant development”. more

1. Feb. 2011 | Feederlines B.V. Implement GL’s Fleet Management Software Hamburg - Onboard of 48 ships of Dutch shipping company Feederlines B.V., GL Maritime Software’s fleet management software GL ShipManager and GL FleetAnalyzer will be implemented in 2011. more

31. Jan. 2011 | Chevron Shipping Company Relies on Condition Based Monitoring Rotterdam - At the 4th Optimising Ship Maintenance Conference held in Rotterdam on January 27, 2010, GL Noble Denton discussed the implementation of a condition based monitoring system (CBM) for Chevron Shipping Company. Several Chevron vessels successfully used this system on various equipment including pumps, purifiers and steering ge more

12. Jan. 2011 | FutureShip: Container Ship Optimization Yields Significant Fuel Savings Hamburg - The lines of a 9,000 TEU container ship series were significantly improved in a joint venture of the Chinese design office Maric and Germanischer Lloyd’s subsidiary FutureShip. Shipowners Schulte Group (Germany) and Costamare Inc. (Greece) had requested the design review in order to optimize the vessel’s efficiency. As a result of the optimization, a smaller main engine can be installed than originally anticipated. The fuel consumption was reduced by more than 10 % and CO2 emissions are cut by more than 90 tonnes per day. more