Now available: The July 2026 edition of the DNV class rules and standards for ship and offshore

The July 2026 edition introduces new class notations and significant updates designed to support the maritime industry’s ongoing transition towards greater sustainability and innovation. This news highlights the key changes introduced in the new edition.

Information for: Owners/managers, design offices, shipyards, suppliers, manufacturers, and flag states.

24 Rules and Standard

NEED TO KNOW
  • The July 2026 edition of DNV’s rules and standards for the classification of ships and offshore units will enter into force on 1 January 2027. Following a hearing process, 92 documents have been published.
  • New class notations include Shore power ready and Battery ready as well as qualifiers to existing notations such as ER (ULEV).

 

  • For both ship and offshore class, the FL notation specifies the design fatigue life under defined operating conditions.

Notable additions and changes to the DNV ship rules (DNV-RU-SHIP)

New class notations:

  • FL(Y, E) giving the design fatigue life under specified operating conditions (Pt.6 Ch.1 Sec.17)
  • Battery ready for vessels prepared for batteries as part of the main energy onboard installation (Pt.6 Ch.2 Sec.1)
  • Shore power ready for vessels prepared for shore power installations (Pt.6 Ch.7 Sec.5)

New qualifiers to existing class notations:

  • Tanker for liquefied gas(FSM) for vessels designed to store and transfer liquefied gas (Pt.5 Ch.7 Sec.25)
  • Fish carrier(without qualifier) requirements for vessels carrying non-live fish (Pt.5 Ch.10 Sec.18)
  • VCS(P , X kN/m ) for vapour control systems on vessels with high-pressure cargoes (Pt.6 Ch.4 Sec.11)
  • Gas bunker(LNG, LPG, NH , ETH) specifying the type of gas which may be handled (Pt.6 Ch.5 Sec.14)
  • BCLIQ(Partial) introducing the possibility of utilizing selected holds only for cargoes that can liquefy (Pt.6 Ch.5 Sec.18)
  • ER(ULEV) for vessels with ultra-low emissions (Pt.6 Ch.7 Sec.7)

Other important changes:

  • Structural arrangement: reduced corrosion margins for cargo tanks; simplified and relaxed requirements to cut outs in stiffeners (Pt.3 Ch.3)
  • Fire safety: discontinued the class rules as this is fully addressed through statutory certificates (Pt.4 Ch.11)
  • Service vessels: relaxed requirements for ice accretion on superstructures; removed requirements for Level 2-site DP capability plots for Windfarm service; relaxed the requirements for the arrangement of cargo rails (Pt.5 Ch.9)
  • Icebreaker: changed the rules to improve flexibility of design of collision bulkhead and forebody below the collision bulkhead (Pt.5 Ch.10 Sec.10)
  • Direct analysis of ship structures: modified and reduced the calculation scope (Pt.6 Ch.1 Sec. 6 and Sec. 7)
  • Gas-fuelled hydrogen: rules concept amended to better fit the safety concept of the MSC Interim guideline (Pt.6 Ch.2 Sec.16)

Main changes to offshore class

  • New class notation FL(Y) specifying design fatigue life (DNV-RU-OU-0101, OU-0102, OU-0103 and OU-0104)
  • FMS notation updated with qualifiers for selecting design fatigue factors and fatigue life (DNV-RU-OU-0101, OU0102, OU-0103 and OU-0104)
  • New class notation NUI for normally unmanned installations (DNV-RU-OU-0102 and OU-0103)
  • Rewritten in-service class scope for floating wind farms (DNV-RU-OU-0512)
  • Restructured DNV-OS-A101 to separate common requirements from service-specific requirements, and added options for other fuels

Rules and Standards

The updated rules may be applied to projects contracted before the entry-into-force date provided all parties agree. DNV publishes one main rule edition annually, with the next edition scheduled for release in July 2027. Occasionally, additional amendments may be issued between the main editions. These amendments are announced in the Rules & Standards Explorer.

Recommendations

DNV recommends that stakeholders become familiar with the changes before they enter into force.

References

DNV Rules & Standards Explorer on Veracity: R&S Explorer – Publications