International Regulatory Framework Updates – Q3 2026

Key IMO regulatory developments:

July 1, 2026 – amendments to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) enter into force.

Paragraph 16.9 – Alternative fuels and technologies – addresses the possibility of using toxic cargo as fuel, subject to special approval by the Administration. The amendments apply to new and existing 2G/2PG ships carrying cargoes defined as toxic products in the IGC Code and subject to the Code.

September 1, 2026 – amendments to the NOx Technical Code 2008 enter into force.

A procedure is established for the re-certification of already installed engines that have undergone substantial modification. This applies to any marine diesel engine with a power output over 130kW which undergoes a substantial modification, or is to be certified to a NOx Tier to which it was not certified at the time of certification, therefore requiring recertification.

Key IACS regulatory developments:

July 1, 2026 – IACS UR Z15 (Rev.4 Jan 2025) enters into force. IACS decided that the requirements of UR Z15 could be applied not only to mobile offshore drilling units but also to other units. Necessary changes were made to existing requirements, e. g., deletion of the word “drilling”, addition of the term “other similar units”.

July 1, 2026 – IACS UI SC73 (Rev.3 Dec 2025) enters into force.

Revision 3 of UI SC73 provides a unified interpretation of SOLAS regulation II2/20.6.3.1 relating to portable fire extinguishers on weather decks used as ro-ro cargo spaces. The UI was revised to remove elements what were clarified by the adoption of SOLAS amendments in resolution MSC.550(108) and to align with the unified interpretation in MSC/Circ.1120.

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Additional information:

Founded in 1913, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) is a world-renowned classification society that operates within all spheres of the maritime industry with the goal of improving the operational and environmental safety of marine transportation. RS reviews technical documentation, surveys ships and offshore facilities under construction and in service, certifies vessels and companies for compliance with international conventions, recognizes and certifies industrial products and manufacturers, certifies quality management systems for compliance with international and national standards.

Today, RS is actively expanding its scope of services in the field of engineering and consulting, the development of technical documentation for vessels in service, marine warranty surveys, management system certification and recognition of manufacturers. In addition, RS surveys all container types, including tank containers and offshore containers, confirms compliance of packaging for dangerous goods, as well as renders services on the declaration and certification of dangerous goods and bulk cargoes.