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Rightship cuts bulker annual inspection age to 10 years

In a bid to address ship safety performance, Rightship is lowering its threshold for annual inspection from 14 years to 10 for bulkers and general cargo vessels.

Gary Howard, Middle East correspondent

October 10, 2024

2 Min Read
Image: MOL

RightShip is phasing in lower age requirements for annual acceptable inspections of dry bulk and general cargo vessels, dropping the threshold from the current 14 years to 10 years. The threshold will drop from 14 to 12 years on March 31, 2025, and from 12 to 10 years in 2026.

The update will require similar inspections for vessels under 8,000 DWT in the same categories.

RightShip said the decision came after a year of market consultation, and was driven by risks with ageing vessels as average dry bulk vessel ages are set to rise.

RightShip said its data showed the dry bulk sector experienced the highest incident ratio, calculated by dividing the total number of the most serious Category A and B incidents divided by the number of ships in the fleet. The dry bulk fleet’s ratio of 1.49% compared to 0.96% for oil and 0.89% for LNG.

A fatality ratio of 0.42% for dry bulk compares to 0.14% for LPG and LNG, while the dry bulk Port State Control detention rate ratio of 4.69% is four times higher than oil tankers, said Rightship. 

The analysis also showed a strong correlation between vessel age and rising safety risks, said RightShip, particularly when vessel pass 10 years old. A notable rise in incidents and detentions is seen between 10 and 13 years of age for vessels over 200,000 dwt, while smaller vessels peak in incident and detention rate at 14-19 years.

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“This change reflects our commitment to raising safety standards globally and comes at a critical time as the global dry bulk fleet now averages 14.7 years in age and will continue to rise,” said Christopher Saunders, Chief Maritime Officer at RightShip. “Data shows there is a strong correlation between performance in a RightShip Inspection and the risk of detentions and incidents.”

Rightship’s age thresholds for dry bulkers were last updated in 2017, when the trigger was lowered from 18 years to 14 years for vessels over 8,000 dwt. 

Steen Lund, CEO of RightShip, said: “As we navigate the challenges associated with an ageing fleet, we must collectively strive for safety and transparency across the shipping industry. It is incumbent upon the entire maritime ecosystem to embrace and champion improved safety standards. This commitment is part of our broader mission to drive continuous improvement toward zero harm in maritime operations.”

About the Author

Gary Howard

Middle East correspondent

Gary Howard is the Middle East Correspondent for Seatrade Maritime News and has written for Seatrade Cruise, Seatrade Maritime Review and was News Editor at Lloyd’s List. Gary’s maritime career started after catching the shipping bug during a research assignment for the offshore industry. Working out of Seatrade's head office in the UK, he also produces and contributes to conference programmes for Seatrade events including CMA Shipping, Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East and Marintec. 

Gary’s favourite topics within the maritime industry are decarbonisation and wind-assisted propulsion; he particularly enjoys reporting from industry events.

Conferences & Webinars

Gary Howard regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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