NITC Hoists NAUTICUS Flag

Utilisation of advanced information technology is enabling shipowners worldwide to achieve a vital competitive edge by optimising their business and safety performance. The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) is capitalising on its recent introduction of DNV’s class notation Nauticus. NITC last year gained DNV’s class notation Nauticus Operation for its Suezmax tanker Iran Sanandaj, marking the first-ever assignment of this designation, and recently decided to assign the Nauticus-class to five of its VLCC fleet.

The Nauticus on board system enables ship information to be shared efficiently between the owner and DNV, assisted by the unique 3D graphic model that is integrated into the programme’s database. Users can ‘go on board’ via a PC and point to the components on which they want information. A major benefit to NITC of the Nauticus Operation notation is that it significantly cuts the dry-docking time of a ship by streamlining the usually exhaustive and complex procedure of information gathering for such work. This is facilitated by instant availability of class-related data accumulated over the vessel’s lifetime that is stored in the Nauticus Product Model and accessible via DNV Exchange and the 3D graphic model. The graphic model itself may be used to generate vital planning information such as the weight of planned steel replacements. Through the product model, NITC can also access main structural drawings and other essential data for the accurate planning of repairs or replacements.

The Nauticus class products also contain a number of other voluntary class notations that provide users with new services and elements of decision-making support. One example is Nauticus Propulsion, which represents an alternative arrangement for machinery surveys based on condition monitoring. NITC has agreed to test Nauticus Propulsion later this year.