Shipbreaking in OECD

Abbreviations and glossary

Abbreviation/Acronym

Name

Explanation

Aframax

 

Tankers generally 80,000-119,000 DWT

Ballast

 

Seawater taken into a vessel’s tanks in order to submerge the vessel to proper trim.

BIMCO

Baltic and International Maritime Council

Trade organisation representing shipowners, shipbrokers and agents, and other members

Bulk Cargo

 

Usually a homogeneous cargo stowed in bulk, and not enclosed in any container.

Deadweight, DWT

Deadweight Tonnage

The lifting or carrying capacity of a ship when fully loaded. The deadweight is the difference, in tonnes, between the displacement and the lightweight. It includes cargo, bunkers, water (potable, boiler, ballast), stores, passengers and crew.

DEPA

Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Government agency under the Ministry of Environment

DNV

Det Norske Veritas

One of several Classification Societies - The professional organisations which class and certify the strength and seaworthiness of vessel construction. Class and certification issued to each vessel may be required for insurance purposes. DNV and Lloyds Register of Shipping are two well known classification societies in the world today.

T

Draught

The depth of a ship in the water. This distance is measured from the bottom of the ship to the surface of the water. The moulded draught T is the distance, in m, measured vertically on the midship transverse section, from the moulded base line to the summer load line.

DT

Displacement Tonnage

Expressed in tonnes it is the weight the water displaced by the vessel which in turn is the weight of the vessel at that time.

Gas free

Gas free (for hot work)

Gas Free Certificate - A certificate issued by a chemist after sampling the air in a tanker's cargo tanks after the cargo has been pumped out.

GT

Gross Tonnage

The internal capacity of a vessel measured in units of 100 cubic feet.

ILO

International Labour Organisation

The UN agency seeking the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights

IMO

International Maritime Organisation

The United Nations' agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships.

LDT

Light displacement tonnes or Lightweight

The lightweight is the displacement, in t, without cargo, fuel, lubricating oil, ballast water, fresh water and feed water, consumable stores and passengers and crew and their effects, but including liquids in piping.

MARAD

Maritime Administration

US Department of Transportation Authority

MARPOL

 

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78).

MEPC

Marine Environment Protection Committee

IMO's senior technical body on marine pollution related matters.

Panamax.

 

The maximum size ship that can fit through the Panama Canal in terms of width, length and draught generally about 80,000 DWT

Suezmax

 

The maximum size ship that can sail through the Suez canal generally considered to be between 150-200,000 DWT depending on ships dimensions and draught.

TEU

Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit

Standard unit for counting containers of various capacities and for describing the capacities of container ships or terminals. One 20 Foot ISO container equals 1 TEU.

ULCC

Ultra Large Crude Carrier

Tanker of 320,000 DWT & above

VLCC

Very Large Crude Carrier

Tanker of 160,000-320,000 DWT