NI 650, Sec 1
May 2018 Bureau Veritas 5
SECTION 1 GUIDELINES FOR EXISTING SHIPS OPERATING
IN POLAR WATERS
1 General
1.1 Scope of the guidelines
1.1.1 This Guidance Note provides recommendations on
the statutory requirements for the equipment and the opera-
tions of ships constructed before 1st January 2017 (hereafter
named existing ships) in order to be compliant with the pro-
visions of the IMO Polar Code and to carry a Polar Ship Cer-
tificate.
These guidelines are intended as a reference for shipyards,
shipowners and Administrations in order to help them in
the definition of the applicable statutory framework.
The application of these guidelines does not relieve the
Interested Party from compliance with any requirements
issued by the Administration.
When authorised by the Administration concerned, the
Society will act on its behalf within the limits of such author-
isation, in accordance with NR467, Pt A, Ch 1, Sec 1, [4].
1.2 IMO Polar Code
1.2.1 The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has
developed the International Code for Ships Operating in
Polar Waters (Polar Code), which contains both safety and
environmental related provisions and is mandatory under
SOLAS and MARPOL.
The goal of the Polar Code is to provide for safe ship opera-
tion and the protection of the polar environment by
addressing risks present in polar waters and not adequately
mitigated by other instruments of the Organization.
The Polar Code has been developed to supplement existing
IMO instruments in order to increase the safety of ship's
operation and mitigate the impact on the people and envi-
ronment in the remote, vulnerable and potentially harsh
polar waters.
The Polar Code covers the full range of design, construc-
tion, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue
and environmental protection matters relevant to ships
operating in waters surrounding the two poles.
1.3 Definitions
1.3.1 Administration
SOLAS REFERENCE: Chapter I, regulation 2(b)
Administration means the Government of the State whose
flag the ship is entitled to fly.
1.3.2 Polar waters
SOLAS REFERENCE: Chapter XIV, regulation 1.4
Polar waters means Arctic waters and/or the Antarctic area.
Fig 1 and Fig 2 are given for illustrative purposes only.
Antarctic area means the sea area south of latitude 60° S.
Arctic waters means those waters which are located.
a) north of a line from the latitude 58º00’.0 N and longi-
tude 042º00’.0 W
b) to latitude 64º37’.0 N, longitude 035º27’.0 W
c) and thence by a rhumb line to latitude 67º03’.9 N, longi-
tude 026º3’.4 W
d) and thence by a rhumb line to the latitude 70º49’.56 N
and longitude 008º59’.61 W (Sørkapp, Jan Mayen)
e) and by the southern shore of Jan Mayen to 73º31’.6 N
and 019º01’.0 E by the Island of Bjørnøya,
f) and thence by a great circle line to the latitude
68º38’.29 N and longitude 043º23’.08 E (Cap Kanin
Nos)
g) and hence by the northern shore of the Asian Continent
eastward to the Bering Strait
h) and thence from the Bering Strait westward to latitude
60º N as far as Il’pyrskiy
i) and following the 60th North parallel eastward as far as
and including Etolin Strait
j) and thence by the northern shore of the North Ameri-
can continent as far south as latitude 60º N
k) and thence eastward along parallel of latitude 60º N, to
longitude 056º37’.1 W
l) and thence to the latitude 58º00’.0 N, longitude
042º00’.0 W.
1.3.3 Ship category
POLAR CODE REFERENCE: Introduction, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3.
Categories of ships are defined as given in Tab 1.
Table 1 : Ship category
Category Operation
A
Designed for operation in polar waters in at
least medium first-year ice, which may include
old ice inclusions.
B
Not included in category A designed for opera-
tion in polar waters in at least thin first-year ice,
which may include old ice inclusions.
C
Designated to operate in open water or in ice
conditions less severe than those included in
categories A and B.