ABS: Guide for Performance Standards for Corrosion Protection

The American Bureau of Shipping has published the January 2024 Edition of Guide for Performance Standards for Corrosion Protection.

Corrosion protection requirements are specified in SOLAS Chapter II-1/3-2 for protective coatings of dedicated seawater ballast tanks in all types of ships and protective coatings of double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers, and in SOLAS Chapter II-1/3-11 for protective coatings or corrosion resistance materials of cargo oil tanks of crude oil tankers.

SOLAS Chapter II-1/3-11 specifies additional corrosion protection requirements for the cargo oil tanks of crude oil tankers contracted on or after 1 January 2013.

In 2019, this Guide superseded the ABS Guide for the Class Notation Coating Performance Standard (CPS) and introduced the additional ABS CPS-COT and CorrResistant notations for compliance with the SOLAS Chapter II-1/3-11 requirements for cargo oil tanks.

January 2024 Edition introduces CPS-B (seawater ballast tanks), CPS-D (double-skin spaces), and CPS-V (void spaces) notations to denote the area to which approved protective coatings are applied.

CPS-B, CPS-D, CPS-V, CPS-COT, and CorrResistant notations are intended for all SOLAS-compliant vessels but may also be issued to other types of vessels such as non-SOLAS vessels, MODU CODE compliant vessels, and ship-type floating production installations.

This Guide is provided to identify compliance with the IMO regulations on corrosion protection for the builders, owners, and operators of vessels classed with ABS.

The notations can help to promote the effective application of the IMO Performance Standards on ABS-classed vessels.

If you need more information, please visit the ABS Rules and Guides page, where the document is available FOR FREE.