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Lloyd's Register (LR) has developed a new notation for low-flashpoint fuels (LFPF), allowing owners and shipyards to demonstrate that their design and construction meet requirements. The notation is due to come into effect as of January 1, 2016.

In a statement, LR said: "In the last 12 months, the industry experienced two major changes in legislation with the revised International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) and the adoption of the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code). The codes have broadened the horizons for gas applications, encompassing the use of low-flashpoint fuels for gas carriers and non-gas carriers, but it is the classification society's role to ensure clear standards, requirements and methodology are put in place, to help ensure the required levels of safety and reliability are achieved."

LFPF is assigned where the main propelling and/or auxiliary machinery is designed to operate using a low-flashpoint fuel in accordance with the applicable LR Rules and Regulations.

LR says its approach to this developing market is through Rules and Regulations applicable to all ships using low-flashpoint fuels under an overarching notation that is clearly structured, scalable and can evolve as the industry's knowledge matures.

Leo Karistios, LR's Global Gas Technology Market Manager, commented: "The innovation in gas carriers and non-gas carriers using gas as a marine fuel has been tremendous over the last two years. Our new class notation LFPF is Lloyd's Register's response to the market's evolution. Our rules and regulations are evolving at the same pace so that classification's role maintains its significance in the marine and gas market sectors."

The LFPF notation is to be appended by the associated characters GC or GF:

GC: Assigned to gas carriers indicating that the gas-fuelled machinery has been constructed, arranged, installed and tested in accordance with the relevant requirements of Chapter 16 of LR's Rules for Ships for liquefied gases, or is equivalent there to.

GF: Assigned to ships other than gas carriers indicating that the low-flashpoint-fuelled machinery has been constructed, arranged, installed and tested in accordance with the LR Rules and Regulations applicable to the fuel(s) used.

The low-flashpoint fuel (or fuels) that the ship is designed to use is indicated in the notation using a two letter identifier:

NG: Natural Gas
EG: Ethane Gas
PG: Liquid Petroleum Gas
ML: Methanol