2 General

2.1 Application

Unless expressly provided otherwise this Code applies to ships to which part G of SOLAS chapter II-1 applies.

LR 2.1-01 These Rules specify requirements for the use of gases or other low-flashpoint fuels as a fuel for ships other than ships covered by the IGC Code (e.g. LNG carriers).

LR 2.1-02 The requirements are in addition to the applicable requirements of the Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships, Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Naval Ships, Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Inland Waterways Ships, Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Special Service Craft and statutory conventions such as SOLAS and MARPOL.

LR 2.1-03 Inland Waterways Vessels are to meet the requirements of these Rules. Where it is not possible or it is not appropriate for Inland Waterways Vessels to comply with the specific requirements of these Rules as a result of national or regional requirements, details of the design that deviate from the LR requirements are to be submitted for consideration.

LR 2.1-04 The Rules do not repeat the general requirements for fire safety as stated in statutory conventions.

LR 2.1-05 Additional requirements may be imposed by the National Administration with which the ship is registered and/or by the Administration within whose territorial jurisdiction the ship is intended to operate.

LR 2.1-06 The periodic survey regulations for gases and other low-flashpoint fuel installations are located in the Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships, Part 1, Chapter 3, Section 24.

LR 2.1-07 Class notation and descriptive note

LR 2.1-07a Ships complying with the requirements of LR’s Rules and Regulations and fuelled by gas or other low-flashpoint fuel will be eligible for assignment of LR’s Low Flash Point Fuel notation, LFPF(xx,yy) where ‘xx’ identifies the applicable Rules and Regulations and ‘yy’ identifies the type of fuel. The notation indicates that the gas or other low-flashpoint fuelled machinery has been designed, constructed, arranged, installed and tested in accordance with LR’s Rules and Regulations.

With reference to ‘xx’, the following identifiers are used:

GF ships complying with LR’s Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (incorporating the IGF Code).

GC ships complying with LR’s Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of Ships for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk (incorporating the IGC Code).

With reference to ‘yy’, the following identifiers are used:

NG Natural Gas

EG Ethane Gas

PG Petroleum Gas (considered to include pure propane or Butane or any mixture of the two)

ML Methyl Alcohol (Methanol)

EL Ethyl Alcohol (Ethanol)

HY Hydrogen

AM Ammonia

LR 2.1-07b Ships complying with particular aspects of these Rules may be eligible for assignment of LR’s gas or other low-flashpoint fuel Gas Ready descriptive note, GR(yy,z) where ‘yy’ identifies the type of fuel (consistent with the LFPF notation) and ‘z’ identifies the particular aspects which have been approved or approved and installed. This descriptive note will be included in the Register Book. This descriptive note is not an LR class notation and is provided solely for information. If a ship has been assigned the LFPF notation then it will not be eligible for the GR descriptive note for the same type of fuel. It is also to be noted that further appraisal against the Statutory and LR requirements in force at the time of commissioning will be required if assignment of the LFPF notation is subsequently requested.

With reference to ‘z’, the following identifiers are used:

As an example, the descriptive note GR (NG,A,S,E(M,I)) indicates that, in accordance with LR's Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels in force on date of contract for construction for the vessel in question, the design of the natural gas fuel system has been granted Approval in Principle; the vessel structure is reinforced to support the proposed natural gas fuel tank but the tank and associated arrangements are not yet installed; and the natural gas fuelled main engine and natural gas fuelled incinerator are installed.

LR 2.1-07c Where a GR descriptive note has been assigned and aspects of the gas or other low-flashpoint fuel installation have been installed on board, in order to maintain the validity of the GR descriptive note those aspects are to be surveyed as required by the applicable survey regulations.

LR 2.1-08 Plans and information to be submitted

LR 2.1-08c In addition to the plans required by the Rules for Ships, the following information and plans are to be submitted, where applicable:

2.2 Definitions

Unless otherwise stated below, definitions are as defined in SOLAS chapter II-2.

LR 2.2-01 Except where expressly provided otherwise, the definitions of terms in this Section are to be adopted for classification purposes.

2.2.1 Accident means an uncontrolled event that may entail the loss of human life, personal injuries, environmental damage or the loss of assets and financial interests.

LR 2.2-02 Administration means the Government of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly. For the purpose of classification, it is to be taken as Lloyd’s Register.

LR 2.2-03 Area means a defined location. An area can be on open deck. An area can be open, semi-enclosed or enclosed. An area can be a space below deck. An area can be hazardous or non-hazardous.

2.2.2 Breadth (B) means the greatest moulded breadth of the ship at or below the deepest draught (summer load line draught) (refer to SOLAS regulation II-1/2.8).

LR 2.2-04 For the determination of the scantlings for hull construction, the breadth (B) to be taken as defined in Pt 3, Ch 1,6 of the Rules for Ships.

2.2.3 Bunkering means the transfer of liquid or gaseous fuel from land based or floating facilities into a ships' permanent tanks or connection of portable tanks to the fuel supply system.

2.2.4 Certified safe type means electrical equipment that is certified safe by the relevant authorities recognized by the Administration for operation in a flammable atmosphere based on a recognized standard.^footnote

2.2.5 CNG means compressed natural gas (see also 2.2.26).

2.2.6 Control station means those spaces defined in SOLAS chapter II-2 and additionally for this Code, the engine control room.

LR 2.2-05 Dependability is as defined in IEC 60050(191): Quality vocabulary — Part 3: Availability, reliability and maintainability terms — Section 3.2: Glossary of international terms. It is the collective term used to describe the availability performance and its influencing factors: reliability performance, maintainability performance and maintenance support performance and relates to essential services as agreed with Lloyd’s Register.

Note: Dependability is used only for general descriptions in non-quantitative terms.

2.2.7 Design temperature for selection of materials is the minimum temperature at which liquefied gas fuel may be loaded or transported in the liquefied gas fuel tanks.

2.2.8 Design vapour pressure "P₀" is the maximum gauge pressure, at the top of the tank, to be used in the design of the tank.

2.2.9 Double block and bleed valve means a set of two valves in series in a pipe and a third valve enabling the pressure release from the pipe between those two valves. The arrangement may also consist of a two-way valve and a closing valve instead of three separate valves.

2.2.10 Dual fuel engines means engines that employ fuel covered by this Code (with pilot fuel) and oil fuel. Oil fuels may include distillate and residual fuels.

2.2.11 Enclosed space means any space within which, in the absence of artificial ventilation, the ventilation will be limited and any explosive atmosphere will not be dispersed naturally.^footnote

LR 2.2-07 Enclosed space is any space where, in the absence of artificial ventilation, an explosive atmosphere will not be dispersed naturally. In practical terms, an enclosed space is bounded either on all sides, or all but one side, by bulkheads and decks irrespective of openings, such that the required ventilation rate to prevent the accumulation of pockets of stagnant air cannot be achieved by natural ventilation alone.

2.2.12 ESD means emergency shutdown.

LR 2.2-08 Essential services mean propulsion, electrical power and other facilities and/or amenities necessary for the safety of the ship and its occupants.

2.2.13 Explosion means a deflagration event of uncontrolled combustion.

2.2.14 Explosion pressure relief means measures provided to prevent the explosion pressure in a container or an enclosed space exceeding the maximum overpressure the container or space is designed for, by releasing the overpressure through designated openings.

LR 2.2-09 Explosive gas atmosphere is a mixture with air, under atmospheric conditions, of flammable substances in the form of gas or vapour that, after ignition, permits self-sustaining flame propagation.

2.2.15 Fuel containment system is the arrangement for the storage of fuel including tank connections. It includes where fitted, a primary and secondary barrier, associated insulation and any intervening spaces, and adjacent structure if necessary for the support of these elements. If the secondary barrier is part of the hull structure it may be a boundary of the fuel storage hold space.

The spaces around the fuel tank are defined as follows:

• .1 Fuel storage hold space is the space enclosed by the ship's structure in which a fuel containment system is situated. If tank connections are located in the fuel storage hold space, it will also be a tank connection space;
• .2 Interbarrier space is the space between a primary and a secondary barrier, whether or not completely or partially occupied by insulation or other material; and
• .3 Tank connection space is a space surrounding all tank connections and tank valves that is required for tanks with such connections in enclosed spaces.

LR 2.2-10 In order to minimise the extent of hazardous areas on open deck or to provide environmental protection to essential safety equipment (e.g. tank valves, safety valves etc.) related to tanks or both, the installation of a tank connection space on open deck is permitted.

LR 2.2-11 A tank connection space is permitted to contain equipment such as vaporizers or heat exchangers. Such equipment is considered to contain only potential sources of release, but not sources of ignition.

2.2.16 Filling limit (FL) means the maximum liquid volume in a fuel tank relative to the total tank volume when the liquid fuel has reached the reference temperature.

2.2.17 Fuel preparation room means any space containing pumps, compressors and/or vaporizers for fuel preparation purposes.

LR 2.2-12 Where the space containing equipment such as vaporisers or heat exchangers contains only potential sources of release, but not sources of ignition, then it may be considered a tank connection space and not a fuel preparation room.

2.2.18 Gas means a fluid having a vapour pressure exceeding 0.28 MPa absolute at a temperature of 37.8°C.

2.2.19 Gas consumer means any unit within the ship using gas as a fuel.

2.2.20 Gas only engine means an engine capable of operating only on gas, and not able to switch over to operation on any other type of fuel.

2.2.21 Hazardous area means an area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is or may be expected to be present, in quantities such as to require special precautions for the construction, installation and use of equipment.

LR 2.2-13 Hazardous areas, as defined in the IEC 60079 series are classified into zones based upon the frequency of the occurrence and duration of an explosive gas atmosphere.

2.2.22 High pressure means a maximum working pressure greater than 1.0 MPa.

2.2.23 Independent tanks are self-supporting, do not form part of the ship's hull and are not essential to the hull strength.

LR 2.2-14 A Type C tank is an independent tank designed in accordance with pressure vessel requirements for liquefied gas tanks in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of Ships for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk (hereinafter referred to as the Rules for Ships for Liquefied Gases), and Class 1 fusion welded pressure vessels in Pt 5, Ch 1 of the Rules for Ships.

2.2.24 LEL means the lower explosive limit.

2.2.25 Length (L) is the length as defined in the International Convention on Load Lines in force.

2.2.26 LNG means liquefied natural gas.

2.2.27 Loading limit (LL) means the maximum allowable liquid volume relative to the tank volume to which the tank may be loaded.

2.2.28 Low-flashpoint fuel means gaseous or liquid fuel having a flashpoint lower than otherwise permitted under paragraph 2.1.1 of SOLAS regulation II-2/4.

2.2.29 MARVS means the maximum allowable relief valve setting.

LR 2.2-15 Master gas fuel valve is a remotely activated and system activated valve in the gas supply line to the low-flashpoint fuelled machinery which is located outside the machinery space and is as close as possible to the low-flashpoint fuel preparation equipment.

2.2.30 MAWP means the maximum allowable working pressure of a system component or tank.

2.2.31 Membrane tanks are non-self-supporting tanks that consist of a thin liquid and gas tight layer (membrane) supported through insulation by the adjacent hull structure.

2.2.32 Multi-fuel engines means engines that can use two or more different fuels that are separate from each other.

2.2.33 Non-hazardous area means an area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is not expected to be present in quantities such as to require special precautions for the construction, installation and use of equipment.

2.2.34 Open deck means a deck having no significant fire risk that at least is open on both ends/sides, or is open on one end and is provided with adequate natural ventilation that is effective over the entire length of the deck through permanent openings distributed in the side plating or deckhead.

LR 2.2-16 A reasonably foreseeable abnormal condition is an event, incident or failure that:

(a) has happened and could happen again;

(b) is planned for (e.g. emergency actions cover such a situation, maintenance is undertaken to prevent it, etc.).

2.2.35 Risk is an expression for the combination of the likelihood and the severity of the consequences.

LR 2.2-17 Risk assessment is the evaluation of likelihood and consequence together with a judgement on the significance of the result, see IEC/ISO 31010: Risk management, risk assessment techniques.

2.2.36 Reference temperature means the temperature corresponding to the vapour pressure of the fuel in a fuel tank at the set pressure of the pressure relief valves (PRVs).

LR 2.2-18 Rollover is where stored liquid develops layers of liquid with different densities and temperatures, and once the surface between these layers can no longer be maintained, significant gas/vapour generation occurs. This generation of gas can result in a significant increase in pressure within the storage tank.

LR 2.2-19 Rules for Ships means the Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships.

LR 2.2-20 Rules for Ships for Liquefied Gases means the Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of Ships for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk.

LR 2.2-21 Rules for Materials means the Rules for the Manufacture, Testing and Certification of Materials.

2.2.37 Secondary barrier is the liquid-resisting outer element of a fuel containment system designed to afford temporary containment of any envisaged leakage of liquid fuel through the primary barrier and to prevent the lowering of the temperature of the ship's structure to an unsafe level.

2.2.38 Semi-enclosed space means a space where the natural conditions of ventilation are notably different from those on open deck due to the presence of structure such as roofs, windbreaks and bulkheads and which are so arranged that dispersion of gas may not occur.^footnote

LR 2.2-22 Single failure is where loss of intended function occurs through one fault or action.

2.2.39 Source of release means a point or location from which a gas, vapour, mist or liquid may be released into the atmosphere so that an explosive atmosphere could be formed.

LR 2.2-23 Space means an enclosed or semi-enclosed area, room or location.

LR 2.2-24 Tank master isolation valve(TMIV)is a remotely operated valve on a liquefied gas pipe from a liquefied gas storage tank. The valve is located as close as possible to the tank outlet.

2.2.40 Unacceptable loss of power means that it is not possible to sustain or restore normal operation of the propulsion machinery in the event of one of the essential auxiliaries becoming inoperative, in accordance with SOLAS regulation II-1/26.3.

2.2.41 Vapour pressure is the equilibrium pressure of the saturated vapour above the liquid, expressed in MPa absolute at a specified temperature.

2.3 Alternative design

2.3.1 This Code contains functional requirements for all appliances and arrangements related to the usage of low-flashpoint fuels.

Such fuels, appliances and arrangements can be used provided that these meet the intent of the goal and functional requirements concerned and provide an equivalent level of safety of the relevant chapters.

2.3.3 The equivalence of the alternative design shall be demonstrated as specified in SOLAS regulation II-1/55 and approved by the Administration. However, the Administration shall not allow operational methods or procedures to be applied as an alternative to a particular fitting, material, appliance, apparatus, item of equipment, or type thereof which is prescribed by this Code.

LR 2.3-01 To support the demonstration of equivalent safety, LR is developing specific requirements for the use of other gases and low-flashpoint fuels which will be incorporated into these Rules as LR Appendices once approved by LR’s Technical Committee. Where Interim Guidelines for the use of other gases and low-flashpoint fuels have been adopted by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), such guidelines will be incorporated into the Appendices.

LR 2.3-02 To support the demonstration of equivalent safety for the use of methyl alcohol (methanol) and ethyl alcohol (ethanol) as fuel, Classification requirements, incorporating MSC.1/Circ.1621 Interim Guidelines for the Safety of Ships Using Methyl/Ethyl Alcohol as Fuel, have been developed and are stated in Appendix LR1.