RS Contributes to Developing International Requirements for FRP Tanks
During the 68th session of the ECOSOC Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG 68) in Geneva, a meeting of the Working Group on fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) took place under the chairmanship of the Russian Federation.
Representing Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), were Dmitry Yarveper, Head of the Containers Department, and Sergey Kordonets, Principal Specialist-Expert of the Rules Development Department.
The working group’s main objective was to advance the development of a new Section 6.9.4 for the UN Model Regulations – Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN Orange Book). This section sets out requirements for portable tanks with bodies made of FRP materials designed to carry non-refrigerated liquefied gases. The initiative to create and introduce the new section was led by Russia, with the technical foundation prepared jointly by the Center for Materials Technologies (CMT, Skoltech) and RS.
Work on Chapter 6.9 of the Orange Book has been ongoing since 2017 under the auspices of the TDG Sub-Committee. The effort was launched in the interests of Russian manufacturers and operators as part of the national State Program “Developing the Industry and Increasing Industrial Competitiveness”. The main provisions of the chapter have already been incorporated into the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code and entered into force on January 1, 2024.
Russian experts worked alongside colleagues from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway and the United States to refine design criteria and approval procedures for portable tanks. They also elaborated a testing programme that includes assessments for fire resistance, impact strength, gas permeability and material compatibility. Additionally, the group updated relevant definitions and aligned the draft section with the existing international regulatory framework.
The UN Sub-Committee supported the group’s progress and agreed to continue the development of the section during the intersessional period and at the forthcoming meeting at the end of the year.
For RS, participation in this project reinforces its position as a recognized competent authority and helps accelerate the introduction of composite solutions into the container transport market.
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.
