Korean Register held its 17th KR European Committee meeting in London, UK, on 4 July. The annual meeting was first established in 2004, when current KR Chairman & CEO, Hyungchul LEE served as the General Manager of the KR London Branch Office.

Each year, senior KR representatives meet with the KREC committee members to freely discuss the maritime industry’s most pressing issues and challenges, sharing any information that will help the committee members address these issues while supporting the Korean Maritime industry to enhance its offer and meet customers’ needs even better.

The KREC is made up of key figures from across the European maritime industry, including senior representatives from the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), AXA XL, the international maritime insurance company and major European shipping companies including Bernard Schulte and Songa Ship Management.

The 17th KREC meeting was particularly significant, being the first gathering in three years following the Covid-19 pandemic, and the first since Hyunchul LEE, KR Chairman & CEO took office in December 2019.

This years’ committee meeting saw the class society presenting its latest advanced technology and discussing its most compelling R & D achievements on decarbonization and digitalization to the KREC. The meeting also examined different countermeasures as a means to respond to the International Maritime Organization’s enhanced decarbonization regulations.

The KREC members also discussed appropriate management of ship software, the industry-wide shortage of seafarers for LNG carriers, and the growing number of fires involving electric vehicles on PCTC carriers, exploring and discussing ways to resolve these issues efficiently.

Hyungchul LEE, KR Chairman & CEO said, “As the only international classification society in Korea, the opportunity to discuss the maritime industry’s most pressing challenges with members of KR’s international committees is hugely valuable and important to us. We will then in turn raise these concerns at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and with the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) in order to find solutions and the best way forward to ensure the sustainability of the maritime industry.”