Lloyd’s Register has won a contract to class nine Maersk MR tanker newbuilds to the new Harmonised Common Structural Rules (CSR-H) introduced by IACS (the International Association on Classification Societies) in July.

The vessels will be built by Samsung’s Ningbo yard in China and are due for delivery in 2017/18.

“These are amongst the first CSR-H vessels to be ordered and show the trust placed in LR by the shipyard and shipowner,” commented Jim Smith, LR’s regional marine manager for North Asia. “Our strong technical capabilities in Korea and China mean that we can meet the demands for support in a timely manner and help ensure that high quality and high performance vessels are delivered.”

LR says it is a leader in the adoption of CSR-H, which covers both tankers and bulk carriers, and is currently working on a Joint Industry Project to develop software to simplify the application of CSR-H.