5 Exemption procedure
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1421 – Guidelines on Exemptions for Crude Oil Tankers Solely Engaged in the Carriage of Cargoes and Cargo Handling Operations not Causing Corrosion – (13 June 2012) - Annex – Guidelines on Exemptions for Crude Oil Tankers Solely Engaged in the Carriage of Cargoes and Cargo Handling Operations not Causing Corrosion - 5 Exemption procedure

5 Exemption procedure

  5.1 An exemption certificate should be issued ONLY to a tanker that will be carrying a crude oil meeting the above characteristics and associated with particular and concrete long-term trade. The following needs to be considered by the Administration prior to the issuance of an exemption certificate:

  • .1 a proposal for a crude oil tanker to be built without coated cargo tanks should be approved by the Administration in each particular case;

  • .2 the owner should provide evidence to the satisfaction of the Administration that the crude oil tanker is purpose-built for the benign crude oil trade for the duration of the tanker's commercial life;

  • .3 approval for exemption should be obtained from the Administration prior to signing the building contract with the shipbuilder and presented to the recognized organization;

  • .4 the trading limitation and the particular benign crude oil should be stated on the Exemption Certificate which is issued in addition to the Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate or Cargo Ship Safety Certificate; and

  • .5 in case the crude oil tanker ceases trading in the approved benign crude oil trade, a new approval for exemption should be obtained from the Administration for alternative benign crude oil trade.

  5.2 During the surveys required by SOLAS regulation I/10, the conditions under which the exemption was granted have to be verified and, during inspection of the exempted ship's cargo tanks, the condition of the tanks should be taken into account when considering the continued validity of the exemption certificate.

  5.3 In case the crude oil tanker ceases to trade in benign crude oil, the cargo tanks will need to be brought into compliance with SOLAS regulation II-1/3-11, adopted by resolution MSC.291(87) and as may be amended, to be able to continue trading in non-benign crude oil transport.


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