Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection, and certification, has delivered an Approval in Principle  to InfraCore Company for its design, modelling, production and testing of a full glass fibre-reinforced polymer rudder flap for an 18,500 TEU container ship.

The certificate was delivered as a result of the EU-funded project RAMSSES – Realisation and Demonstration of Advanced Material Solutions for Sustainable and Efficient Ships – which aims to expand the application and usage of innovative materials to build more efficient and sustainable ships.

Lightweight and other advanced materials, for example, were identified as technologies with high potential but development for use in the maritime sector was lagging. Increased freedom of design of a composite rudder flap can improve hydrodynamic performance, lifetime and reduce maintenance cost.

RAMSSES was initiated to validate and fast track approvals on the usage of innovative materials to improve the life cycle performance of European built ships and maritime structures, assisting the industry to build more sustainable and efficient ships at pace, while reducing their environmental footprint and making the industry more competitive at a global scale.

An important aspect of RAMSSES was the role classification societies play in developing a more efficient and agreed upon standard risk assessment. Bureau Veritas successfully defined a first draft of the approval process to be considered within RAMSSES project, pioneering the safety and performance of new technologies.

Laurent Leblanc, Senior Vice President Technical & Operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, commented: “Bureau Veritas is honoured to hand over the “Approval in Principle” document to InfraCore Company for their work on the design, modelling, production and testing of a full GFRP rudder flap for an 18,500 TEU container ship. The usage of innovative materials will help advance innovation, safety and performance. This AiP is another testament to our ambition to support safe innovation to shape a better future for the maritime industry and the wider world.

“As a classification society, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore works with industry players across the maritime industry, from offshore operators, to ship owners, to port authorities. We are committed to reducing our industry’s environmental impact, supporting stakeholders through their unique sustainability journey. We help clients comply with environmental regulations, implement green solutions onboard, measure decarbonisation progress, and more.”