Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has been granted Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd's Register (LR) for its Onboard Guidance System, designed to prevent excessive container roll on containerships at sea.
The system was developed as part of a Joint Development Project with HHI, Eastern Pacific Shipping, and LR, and evaluates the stability of container ships' roll motion during operation, providing guidance to crew based on actual operational information in connection with Hyundai Global Service's Integrated Smartship Solution.
LR tested the Onboard Guidance System in September 2022 as part of a pilot project on a 15,100 TEU class containership operated by Eastern Pacific Shipping. The AiP included LR's rules, requirements, and guidance for the system.
HD HYUNDAI has a long-standing relationship with LR, and this AiP follows several recent projects, including AiP for two container ships equipped with measures to mitigate container loss at sea, Software Conformity Assessment for HHI's Digital Hi-PIX Digital Twin core technology, and a Joint Development Project to promote a new way of working with a "Future Shipyard Model."
Nick Gross, Global Containership Segment Director, Lloyd’s Register, said: “Approval in Principle for HHI’s Onboard Guidance System is a meaningful milestone for preventing container roll at sea. Also known as Parametric Rolling Movement (PRM), container roll can cause a ship to dangerously roll at extreme angles, sometimes culminating in a vessel capsizing. This software is a crucial tool in preventing PRM and improving safety at sea. Lloyd’s Register is proud to continue our strong relationship with HHI with this approval.”
Seungho Jeon, Chief Technology Officer, Hyundai Heavy Industries, said: “We are pleased to be awarded Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register. With the development of the technology, our client is able to reduce unnecessary cost due to the loss of containers and HHI has come to secure differentiated competitiveness as a shipbuilder that ensures safe operation at sea. It also has a significant meaning in that we have established a foundation for further advancing the system by completing a pilot test on the EPS vessels in operation.”
Container safety remains a significant concern in the maritime industry due to the risk of fire, cargo loss, and environmental and financial damage.
In response, LR has joined the Safetytech Accelerator's Cargo Fire & Loss Innovation Initiative, alongside several other industry leaders (Evergreen Line, HMM, Maersk, the Offen Group, ONE and Seaspan), to find and advance technology innovations to reduce the incidence and impact of cargo fires or cargo loss overboard.