NAPA Stability, the Finnish software company’s new stability management software for passenger vessels, has been approved by class society Lloyd’s Register (LR).
This system has now received type approval from both LR and DNV, which are the only class societies that provide this type of certification for cruise ships.
The type-approval means that NAPA Stability deliveries on LR classed vessels will now only require ship-specific approval, creating a lighter and cheaper approval process, thereby making it easier for shipowners and operators to adopt the solution, NAPA claimed.
By installing NAPA Stability, the certification will also support cruise vessels and ferries in meeting the Type 4 Loading Instrument requirements, which all passenger ships will have to comply with by 2025, as well as the Safe Return to Port guidelines.
As part of the approval process, LR has confirmed the accuracy of NAPA Stability calculations, and that it meets all the functionalities required by these regulations.
Mark Darley, LR’s COO, said: “LR are proud to award Approval in Principle (AiP) to NAPA for their Stability Management Software following our comprehensive certification process.
“This solution will help the passenger ship industry adopt an important safety tool rapidly whilst raising standards across the board. The AiP signposts a crucial landmark for safety at sea as digitalisation on board cruise ships continues to gather pace.”
NAPA Stability enables ship and shoreside teams to share and view all stability data – including loading conditions, stability margins, watertight doors status, etc – in real time.
This provides a comprehensive picture of the stability risks a vessel faces throughout its voyage, leading to better utilisation of resources and facilitating reporting.
By making safety and sustainability a shared responsibility between crews and shoreside teams, it encourages a more proactive approach to voyage safety and planning, NAPA claimed.
Esa Henttinen, NAPA Safety Solutions’ Executive Vice President, added: “Next-generation stability solutions will play a key role in the de-carbonisation transition. As ships deploy a broad range of technologies to reduce their carbon emissions, they must ensure that new solutions are safe and integrate seamlessly into their work processes.
“NAPA Stability helps shipowners and operators balance safety and de-carbonisation, optimising parameters, such as fuel bunkering, water bunkering, hull and trim optimisation to make voyages more efficient while maintaining stability and safety at all times.
“Receiving a stamp of approval from the two main classification societies for cruise vessels confirms that our next-generation stability software has been thoroughly tested and meets the highest maritime standards. It will also facilitate its deployment on LR and DNV-classed ships.
“For our customers, it means that they can start planning fleet-wide roll-out of this new safety solution without any hesitation,” he said.
NAPA Stability builds on the basics of its predecessor, NAPA Loading Computer, which has been used by all major cruise lines for over two decades.
Customers who have started to use NAPA Stability welcomed the approval.
Iain McConnachie, Senior Manager, Nautical & Marine Safety at Carnival UK, commented: “As more of our vessels experience NAPA Stability, we already see significant changes that will improve work processes and reduce workloads for our crews.
“Moreover, having real-time data at hand for all situations will enable us to strengthen the safety support provided to our teams at sea, but also increase our overall daily stability awareness and fleet support capabilities,” he said.
