MSC Awarded 5 Star “DNV GL Excellence” for Ship Management

Diego Aponte, President and CEO of MSC Group & Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO DNV GL – Maritime

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, a leader in global transportation, has received the highest certification for vessel management systems, safety, environment and efficiency.

In earning the 5 Star DNV GL Excellence rating, MSC joins a select group of shipping lines which have been commended for their exceptional implementation of international standards.

 “I would like to thank our ship management companies in Cyprus and Sorrento for their excellent work and congratulate them for this prestigious commendation. MSC’s modern, holistic approach to applying international standards on quality, safety and environmental compliance sets us apart as a responsible, sustainable business,” said Diego Aponte, President and CEO of MSC.

DNV GL, a global quality assurance and risk management company, has in particular recognised MSC’s compliance with the following state-of-the-art standards:

• ISO 9001 (2008): Quality Management
• ISO 14001 (2004): Environmental Management Systems
• ISO 50001 (2011): Energy Management Systems

These are set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the worldwide federation of national standards bodies. The ISO develops and publishes standards for a variety of industries with the aim of sharing knowledge, supporting innovation and providing solutions to global challenges.

MSC has one of the most modern container shipping fleets, with 70 percent of vessels introduced in the past 10 years. MSC introduced 40 new vessels in 2015-16 and has confirmed 11 orders for container ships of 22,000 TEU in 2017.

MSC uses market-leading software and “big data” analytics to save money on compliant emissions reporting and has invested in a range of retrofitting solutions to reduce energy consumption and air emissions from its fleet.

DNV GL commended MSC for its implementation of the UN International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) convention on ballast water management, which entered into force on 8 September 2017.

DNV GL has also recognised MSC’s eco-friendly new vessel and equipment designs, in accordance with the GL Environmental Passport for Design (EP-D). The passport recognizes not only current regulations, but also the technical aspects of upcoming requirements.

The 5 Star certification also covers MSC’s application of the IMO’s International Safety Management (ISM) Code and International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code.

“With the 5 Star Excellence certification MSC demonstrates a continued commitment to meeting the highest safety and environmental standards,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO DNV GL – Maritime. “This certification really puts MSC in elite company and demonstrates to their customers a willingness to go beyond simple compliance across a broad range of rigorous standards. We congratulate MSC on their achievement and look forward to continuing our longstanding and productive partnership.”

MSC’s ship management companies in Limassol, Cyprus, and Sorrento, Italy oversee a combined fleet of more than 400 ships, 14,000 crew and 400 shore-based staff.