Germanischer Lloyd to Present its New Classification Service for Naval Vessels, Including Submarines

Hamburg/London, 22 July 2005 - Germanischer Lloyd will present its new guidelines for the construction of naval ships at the Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEi) conference and exhibition in London on September 13-16, 2005. Germanischer Lloyd has been involved in the naval sector for more than 30 years, its Navy Project Department having provided services for more than 330 vessels in more than 24 navies. As part of efforts to formalise and reinforce its links across the naval vessel sector, Germanischer Lloyd issued comprehensive “Rules for Classification and Construction: Part III Naval Ships Technology”. The publication of its naval ship rules was followed by the inaugural meeting of the society’s new Technical Committee for Naval Ships (TCNS) in Melbourne, Australia on February 27 - March 1, 2005. The aim of TCNS is to share in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge naval shipbuilding technologies in order to promote high, uniform standards in vessel design, construction and operation as well as cost-effectiveness in naval procurement. Given the growing body of environmental and safety regulations imposed by national as well as international organisations, naval ships will encounter new requirements in the near future. The latest part of Germanischer Lloyd’s new naval ship rules to be published is the “Preliminary Rules for Sub-Surface Ships”, issued in March 2005. Submarines represent a significant part of Germanischer Lloyd’s naval commitment. The society has had an involvement to a certain extent with nearly all the submarines built in Germany for export over the past 30 years. By bringing the traditional practice of merchant ship classification to submarines, their structural safety can be ensured at the plan approval stage. Through the subsequent construction supervision, together with the certification of components and parts, the entrepreneurial risk of the shipyard is minimised. At the same time, the naval customer receives an subsurface vessel offering enhanced safety and quality standards at reduced cost. The new Germanischer Lloyd “Preliminary Rules for Sub-Surface Ships” are subdivided into the following three chapters: “Submarines”, dealing with submarine pressure hulls, structural strength, dynamic behaviour, propulsion and electrical equipment. “Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles” (ROVs), covering ROV launching and recovery systems, manipulators and manoeuvring equipment as well as tests and trials. “Guidelines for Air Independent Power Systems for Underwater Use”. This chapter deals with the materials, fuel systems, energy converter and explosion protection of air independent power (AIP) systems. All four common AIP processes, i.e. the fuel cell (FC) system, the steam turbine (ST) system, also known as the Module d’Energie Sous-Marin Autonome (MESMA) system, the closed cycle diesel (CCD) engine and the Stirling Engine (SE), are addressed in detail in the construction rules of Germanischer Lloyd. AIP technologies are evolving rapidly and provide the submarine with a means of remaining submerged over long voyages. The classification service package offered by Germanischer Lloyd for submarine newbuildings encompasses plan approval, materials testing and inspections, construction supervision, trials and certification of fuel cells and AIP systems. According to independent market research data, about 300 submarines will be ordered worldwide over the next 20 years. Germanischer Lloyd will be represented at the Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition on Stand 817 at the ExCel Centre in London.

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