Liberia: Approval of LNG Carrier Cargo Operations Manual

Liberia Maritime Authority has issued the Approval of Liquified Gas Carrier Cargo Operations Manual.

This manual was published on March 20th, 2023, and is addressed to all ship owners, operators, masters, and officers of merchant ships, and authorized classification societies.

Purpose

This Notice provides guidance to vessel owners, operators, and managers in the development and approval of Liquified Gas Carrier Cargo Operations Manual to meet the requirements of Chapter 18.2 of the IGC Code, as amended.

Applicability

The IGC Code, as amended applies to ships regardless of their size, including those of less than 500 gross tonnage, engaged in the carriage of liquefied gases having a vapor pressure exceeding 0.28 MPa absolute at a temperature of 37.8°C and other products, as shown in chapter 19, when carried in bulk.

Requirements

Regulation 18.2 of the IGC Code, as amended, requires every liquified gas carrier subject to this Code to be provided with copies of suitably detailed cargo system operation manuals such that trained personnel can safely operate the ship with due regard to the hazards and properties of the cargoes that are permitted to be carried.

Additionally, in accordance with the IGC Code, as amended, the ship’s cargo operations manual shall be approved by the Administration, and updated copies of the same shall be also kept on board.

The cargo operations manual shall include the following but not limited to:

a) Overall operation of the ship from dry-dock to dry-dock, including procedures for cargo tank cooldown and warm-up, transfer (including ship-to-ship transfer), cargo sampling, gas-freeing, ballasting, tank cleaning and changing cargoes;

b) Cargo temperature and pressure control systems;

c) Cargo system limitations, including minimum temperatures (cargo system and inner hull), maximum pressures, transfer rates, filling limits, and sloshing limitations;

d) Nitrogen and inert gas systems;

e) Firefighting procedures: operation and maintenance of firefighting systems and use of extinguishing agents;

f) Special equipment needed for the safe handling of the particular cargo;

g) Fixed and portable gas detection;

h) Control, alarm, and safety systems;

i) Emergency shutdown systems;

j) Procedures to change cargo tank pressure relief valve set pressures in accordance with 8.2.8 and 4.13.2.3 of the IGC Code, as amended; and

k) Emergency procedures, including cargo tank relief valve isolation, single tank gas-freeing, and entry, and emergency ship-to-ship transfer operations.

The cargo operations manual shall be submitted to the Administration for review and approval in accordance with Section 3 of this Notice.

Cargo operations manual preparation

The manual shall be prepared taking into consideration the technical provisions in regulation 18.2 of the IGC Code, as amended.

A model format for the cargo operations manual is provided as Appendix I to this Marine Notice.

The manual shall be written and available in English and a working language understood by the master and officers, if the working language is not English.

Each manual must identify the ship to which it applies, using the ship's name and IMO number.

Review and approval

All manuals required under regulation 18.2 of the IGC Code, as amended, must be approved by the Administration or an authorized RO.

The manual that is submitted to the Administration for approval shall be in English.

A hard copy of the manual may be sent to:

The Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Republic of Liberia,
Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry, LLC,
Attn: Plan Review
22980 Indian Creek drive, Suite 200
Dulles, Virginia
20166, USA

A soft copy of the manual may be sent to RegsandStandards@ liscr.com.

If the manual is submitted to the Administration for review, the following documents are also required to be provided, as applicable:

a) General arrangement plan

b) Cargo system details including any special equipment needed

c) Firefighting system details

d) IG and Nitrogen systems details

e) Gas detection system

f) Safety system (control, alarms)

g) Emergency procedures

To facilitate the review and plan approval process, it is recommended to complete the checklist in Appendix II to this notice which will be used by the Administration for plan approval, and attach it to the submitted plan.

The checklist identifies the applicable sections of the manual.

Questions regarding this instruction, IGC Code, as amended requirements, and fees for the manual review and approval should be referred to RegsandStandards@ liscr.com or you may call +1-703-790-3434.

APPENDIX I: MODEL FORMAT OF SHIP STRUCTURAL ACCESS MANUAL

Cover Page

Table of Contents

Record of Changes

Part 1: Design Concept of the Vessel
1. 1 Principal Particulars
1. 1. 1 Principal Particulars of the Ship
1. 1. 2 Principal Particulars of Cargo Equipment and Machinery
1. 1. 3 General Arrangement
1. 1. 4 Tanks and Capacity Plan
1. 2 Rules and Regulations
1. 3 Cargo System Technology
1. 3. 1 Cargo Containment System Principle
1. 3. 2 Cargo Containment
1. 3. 3 Deterioration or Failure of Containment
1. 4 Hazardous Areas and Gas Dangerous Zone Plan

Illustrations

Part 2: Properties of LNG

Illustrations

Part 3: Integrated Automation System (IAS)
3. 1 Control Room Arrangement
3. 2 Integrated Automation System (IAS)
3. 3 Custody Transfer System

Illustrations

Part 4: Cargo and Ballast System
4. 1 Cargo Containment System
4. 2 Cargo Piping System
4. 3 Cargo Pumps
4. 4 Cargo Compressors
4. 5 Boil-Off/Warm-Up Heater
4. 6 LNG Vaporiser
4. 7 Forcing Vaporiser
4. 8 Nitrogen Generator
4. 9 Inert Gas and Dry-Air Generator
4. 1 0 Fixed Gas Detection System
4. 1 1 Valve Remote Control and Emergency Shutdown System
4. 1 2 Ship-shore Link and Mooring Load Monitoring System
4. 1 3 Relief Systems
4. 1 4 Ballast System

Illustrations

Part 5: Cargo Auxiliary and Deck System
5. 1 Temperature Monitoring System
5. 2 Primary and Secondary Insulation Space Nitrogen Pressurizing and Control System
5. 3 Cofferdam Heating System
5. 4 Fire Fighting Systems
5. 5 Cargo Machinery Fresh Water Cooling System

Illustrations

Part 6: Cargo Operations
6. 1 Insulation Space Pressurising
6. 2 Post Dry Dock Operation
6. 3 Ballast Passage
6. 4 Loading
6. 5 Loaded Voyage With Boil-Off Gas Burning
6. 6 Discharging with Vapour Return from Shore
6. 7 PreDry Dock Operations
6. 8 One Tank Operation

Illustrations

Part 7: Emergency Procedures
7. 1 LNG Vapour Leakage to Barrier
7. 2 LNG Liquid Leakage to Barrier
7. 3 Water Leakage to Barrier
7. 4 Failure of Cargo Pumps - Emergency Cargo Pump Installation
7. 5 Fire and Emergency Breakaway
7. 6 Ship to Ship Transfer
7. 7 LNG Jettison

Appendices