Houston-based classification society ABS has received accreditation by Greece’s National Accreditation Body, the Hellenic Accreditation System (ESYD), to perform assessments for European Union (EU) Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) compliance.

ABS is now the first classification society to be accredited to perform EU MRV assessments, according to ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki.

In recent years, greenhouse gas emissions from shipping have come under increased scrutiny at the International Maritime Organization and on regional levels, leading to new emissions requirements.

Among these is the EU MRV regulation, EU Regulation 2015/757, for ships traveling to, from and between EU ports. Central to the EU MRV requirements are deadlines for ship owners and operators to develop an emissions monitoring plan, implement the plan and submit a report that is verified by an independent third party.

”As the first accredited class society, ABS is already working with owners and operators to help them verify that their monitoring plans are in compliance with the requirements,” said ABS Executive Vice President for Global Marine Kirsi Tikka.

As an independent third party, ABS helps with EU MRV compliance by assessing that plans are aligned with the applicable requirements and verifying that emissions reporting is prepared in conformance with the accepted monitoring plan.

Additionally, ABS leverages its Nautical Systems (NS) fleet management software to facilitate MRV compliance through the NS Voyage Performance Manager module.