Following the removal of international sanctions against Iran, Lloyd's Register, a British classification institute, is now allowed to issue technical certificates for Iranian oil tankers so that they can freely dock in European oil terminals, the managing director of National Iranian Tanker Company said.
"From now on, Iranian oil vessels will carry cargos under the certification of the international classification institute Lloyd's Register," Ali Akbar Safaei also told Mehr News Agency on the sidelines of a conference to mark the 60th anniversary of NITC in Tehran on Sunday.
Lloyd’s Register is a global engineering, technical and business services organization wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and engineering.
Founded in 1760 as a marine classification society, LR now operates across many industrial sectors, with over 9,000 employees based in 78 countries.
It was initially a specifically maritime organization. Then it diversified into other industries, including oil and gas, processing industries, nuclear and rail. Through its 100% subsidiary, Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd, it is also a major vendor of independent assessment services, including management systems certification for quality.
Underscoring the institute's readiness to cooperate with NITC, Safaei said, "The termination of sanctions has influenced Iran's tanker fleet for the first time."
NITC's executive chief noted that to further support its tanker fleet, the company is in talks with a wide range of institutes and companies, including those involved in insurance, finance, classification as well as providers of spare parts and equipments.
Insurance companies include two British firms and a Swedish company that offer protection and indemnity insurance to oil tankers.
Voicing NITC's readiness to return to the European oil market, Safaei said that in the near future, some of the Iranian vessels will set out for European Union waters and cooperate with oil giants.
With the revocation of the British institute's ban on certification of Iranian tankers, they are officially and technically allowed to work with European customers.
On the other hand, insurance companies will be more certain of insuring Iranian vessels as they will be technically confirmed by LR.
Bahman Pirzad, head of LR's office in Iran, had earlier told Marinetimes.ir that the institute has devised a comprehensive plan to cooperate with local classification institutes.
The plan includes issues such as training and participating in the inspection and certification of ships.
"We hope bilateral cooperation and experience exchange will bring about the membership of Iranian institutes in the International Association of Classification Societies, which takes time and enhanced abilities and experience," he said.
