Russian Maritime Register of Shipping participates in TransRussia 2019
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping presents its container services at the 24th International Exhibition for Transport and Logistics Services and Technologies – TransRussia held on 15 – 17 April 2019 in Crocus Expo, Moscow, RS says in a press release.
The Register performs technical supervision at the design stage, during manufacture and maintenance of all container types – containers for the carriage of general and bulk cargoes, explosive materials and nuclear waste, tank containers for transport of chemicals, refrigerated and non-refrigerated gases, liquid helium, as well as offshore containers widely used for delivery of goods to mobile offshore oil-and-gas drilling units.
Facing the current market challenges, the Register actively develops its technical requirements: the RS Rules on Containers are underway for publication with the major amendments related to the Rules for the Manufacture of Containers: Part III “Thermal Containers” has been completely revised considering ISO 1496-2, Part V “Platform Containers” has been amended in compliance with ISO 1496-5, the requirements of Part VII “Offshore Containers” related to design, manufacture and maintenance of this transport equipment have been supplemented and amended based on ISO series 10855. In addition, the Register documents will contain the requirements for verification of gross mass of containers to be loaded on board, recognition procedures for the firms involved in design of container equipment, as well as amendments related to the materials applied during manufacture thereof. In 2019, RS is to amend the Recommendations on Repair and Survey of Tank Containers: inter alia, the criteria for the vessel condition assessment will be specified.
Major experience and competence enable the Register to promote front-line initiatives aimed at improvement of efficient and safe container transportation both in the domestic and foreign markets. Currently, the Register is a participant to the project on development of experimental digital certification platform for products made of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) which is implemented within the National Technology Initiative “TechNet”. The pilot items in the project are design, testing and manufacture of shut-off valves made of FRP for tank containers where steel fittings are commonly used. The software developed within the project framework will make it possible to create digital models of the materials and products, predicting their condition and failure probability with regard to all possible flaws, estimated service damages and environmental impacts. Under the project, the experimental justification will be developed for the relevant requirements and upcoming amendments to be introduced to the RS Rules and the international technical legislation, accordingly.
Involving the Register, a tank container with FRP shell has been created for transportation of sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. Amendments to the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations (UN Orange Book) developed with the RS participation will be reviewed in June 2019 at the 55th session of the UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG Sub-Committee). Their adoption will enable in future to apply this transport equipment for international transportation by all modes of transport, including by sea.