The Maritime Safety Committee,
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Maritime Safety Committee - Resolution MSC.420(97) - Interim Recommendations for Carriage of Liquefied Hydrogen in Bulk – (Adopted on 25 November 2016) - The Maritime Safety Committee,

The Maritime Safety Committee,

RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Committee,

NOTING that the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea ("the Convention"), 1974 and the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk ("the IGC Code") currently do not specifically provide requirements for carriage of liquefied hydrogen in bulk by sea,

NOTING ALSO that paragraph 5 of Preamble of the IGC Code states that requirements for new products and their conditions of carriage will be circulated as recommendations, on an interim basis, prior to the entry into force of the appropriate amendments.

RECOGNIZING a need for the development of the Interim Recommendations for carriage of liquefied hydrogen in bulk,

ACKNOWLEDGING that, in the interim, there is an urgent need to provide recommendations to the Administrations on safe carriage of liquefied hydrogen in bulk,

ACKNOWLEDGING FURTHER that the Interim Recommendations are intended to facilitate establishment of a tripartite agreement for a pilot ship, which will be developed for the research and demonstration of safe long-distance overseas carriage of liquefied hydrogen in bulk,

HAVING CONSIDERED the Interim Recommendations prepared by the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers at its third session,

1 ADOPTS the Interim Recommendations for carriage of liquefied hydrogen in bulk, the text of which is set out in the annex to the present resolution;

2 INVITES Member States to apply the Interim Recommendations to the pilot ship carrying liquefied hydrogen in bulk taking the explanatory notes into consideration;

3 AGREES to acquire information on safe carriage of liquefied hydrogen in bulk prior to amendment to the IGC Code for the inclusion of liquefied hydrogen;

4 AGREES further that these Interim Recommendations may need to be reviewed if they are to be applied to ships other than the pilot ship; and

5 URGES Member States and the industry to submit information, observations, comments and recommendations based on the practical experience gained through the application of the Interim Recommendations and submit relevant safety analysis on ships carrying liquefied hydrogen in bulk.


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