DNV GL has rolled out IMO-compliant electronic class and statutory certificates across its entire fleet, thus becoming the first class society to achieve full-scale production capability. More than 10,000 electronic certificates were issued during the first three weeks of production. Experience from the initial phase of full-scale production has been very encouraging, and no concerns have been raised from these early adaptors. This technical news aims to answer the most frequently asked questions related to the improved way of eliminating paper handling on board and ashore.
Relevant for ship owners and managers, shipyards, suppliers, flag states, vetting agencies, port states, ports.
When can operators expect electronic certificates on their vessels?
Electronic certificates will be further rolled out across the DNV GL fleet, with newbuilds receiving certificates on delivery, and existing vessels at their next scheduled survey or audit. Occasional surveys will also be considered as an opportunity to facilitate issuance of all the certificates in the electronic regime.
How does it work?
When issued or endorsed, certificates are published in the My DNV GL service Fleet Status in the customer portal immediately after an on-board survey has been completed. All relevant parties can then access the latest valid certificates from anywhere in the world. The electronic certificates are secured with a digital signature and a unique tracking number (UTN), which can be verified online at trust.dnvgl.com – the website for electronic certificates verification of validity and authenticity (see also illustration).
Trust.dnvgl.com – Site for verification of validity and authenticity
For more details, please see our owner’s user guide (PDF) on the Electronic Certificates web page.
Main advantages
With electronic certificates from DNV GL,
- owners and other stakeholders can save time and costs,
- paper handling is eliminated (printing, scanning, archiving),
- the latest certificates are always made available via the My DNV GL service Fleet Status,
- certificates can be easily shared with stakeholders using temporary access codes (via the My DNV GL service Fleet Status),
- new or updated certificates may be received via email subscriptions set up in the My DNV GL service Fleet Status, and
- there is no risk of losing a certificate.
How do electronic certificates improve the current process?
The current cumbersome manual processes on board and ashore are prone to error, with misplaced/lost documents, confusion (when different stakeholders are holding different versions of a certificate) and additional costs. Besides, manual paper certificates create mundane tasks for seafarers and personnel ashore who could be more productively working on effective operation of the vessel.
Owners now get a unique opportunity to shift behaviours by implementing a more effective digital regime. Several companies with pilot vessels trading globally using electronic certificates have already initiated this digital change with great success.
Pilot projects and flag acceptance
For the past few years, DNV GL has been working on pilot projects with several owners and flag administrations, to test and gain acceptance for the use of electronic certificates. This has
resulted in more than 50 flag state administrations already having
granted DNV GL the authority to issue electronic statutory certificates on their behalf; more flags are expected to grant acceptance in the near future.
The latest overview of DNV GL’s flag acceptance is available on the Electronic Certificates web page.
Recommendations
DNV GL recommends all customers to embrace the functionalities provided in the customer portal via the My DNV GL service Fleet Status to best benefit from the electronic certificate regime.
If operators wish to have electronic certificates issued prior to the planned issuance at the first scheduled survey for a vessel or the fleet, please contact your Key Account Manager or DATE@dnvgl.com.
References
Electronic Class and Statutory Certificates web page
Assuring validity and authenticity of Electronic Certificates at trust.dnvgl.com
Fleet Status service
(with My DNV GL login credentials, via the Veracity platform)
Contact
For customers: DATE – Direct Access to Technical Experts via My DNV GL
Otherwise: Use our office locator to find the nearest DNV GL maritime office