China Classification Society  is expanding its European operations after staging the official opening of its first office in Portugal.

The office, based in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, will be CCS’ 129^th in the world and will engage directly with the Portuguese maritime administration, the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services, after it signed a new statutory authorisation agreement with CCS. The agreement sees CCS become a ‘Recognized Organization’ , enabling CCS to approve drawings, carry out surveys and certification for ships flying the Portuguese flag, as well as issue safety and pollution prevention certificates. CCS now holds 60 authorisations from shipping nations or regions to perform statutory surveys.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, attended by more thang 40 guests, Zhao Bentang, the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, said that as well as offering the best technical support and survey services, the new branch would work to strengthen communication and co-operation between the two nations in areas such as environmental protection and transportation security.

Jose Maria Costa, Portugal’s Secretary of State for Maritime Affairs, told the opening ceremony that the opening of CCS’ Lisbon office would enhance Portugal’s competitiveness in the maritime world.

He said Portugal welcomed CCS and hoped it and the nation’s maritime community would work together to face the challenges of saving energy and reducing emissions. He added: “The growing of Portuguese fleet is the priority of government.”

Wang Baochun, the general manager of CCS Athens branch, which will be supporting the Portugal operation alongside CCS’ head office in Beijing, said the Lisbon office will be responsible for all maritime services in Portugal, covering the ports of Sines, Setubal, Lisbon and Porto.

The opening ceremony was attended by the General Assembly of European International Shipowners’ Association of Portugal, Pedro Rebelo de Sousa and the Manager of CCS’ Lisbon office, Mr Huang Liang along with other guests.

CCS background

Founded in 1956, China Classification Society (CCS) is headquartered in Beijing and is a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).

• Its serviced fleet numbers more than 33,000 vessels exceeding 182.3 million GT.
• Its ship survey business covers large ore carriers, high value-added ships including container ships and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, and green and intelligent ships. CCS also provides classification services to a vast range of offshore installations and related industrial products.
• CCS has a worldwide network of 129 sites
• CCS’ 33,000-plus clients are spread over 140 countries and regions. It holds 60 authorisations by shipping nations or regions in the world including China to perform statutory surveys for the ships flying their flags.

CCS provides classification services to ships, offshore installations and related industrial products by furnishing world-leading technical rules and standards. CCS also provides statutory surveys, verification, certification and accreditation and other services in accordance with international conventions, regulations and the related rules and regulations of the authorizing flag states or regions.

By committing to the mission of “safety, environmental protection and creating value for clients and society”, CCS provides services for a range of industry and fields including shipping, shipbuilding, shipping finance and insurance, marine equipment, ocean resources exploitation, ocean scientific research, industrial supervision, system certification, government policy and rule development, energy saving and emission reduction, risk management and evaluation, and is constantly developing new business areas.

CCS provides 7×24-hour survey and technical support services for shipowners relying on its global offices. With the efficient service architecture, CCS continuously provides all-round support for survey activities, ship safety and security, and emergency response. Excellent performance has been achieved continuously in the three major PSC MoUs, and its fleet size is growing healthily and steadily.