Germanischer Lloyd First Foreign Classification Society to Receive Polish Flag Authorization

Germanischer Lloyd (GL) is the first foreign classification society to be granted the right to carry out statutory duties on Polish-flagged vessels. Polish shipowners can now choose GL as their recognized organization, and thus profit from the worldwide network of surveyors and the society’s long-time experience in the maritime industry. The authorization includes surveys, plan approval and issuance of certificates for international conventions such as SOLAS, Load Line, Tonnage, MARPOL, several IMO Codes, the Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships (AFS Convention) as well as the Convention for Safe Containers.

The agreement was signed at a formal event by Mrs Anna Wypych-Namiotko, Undersecretary of State at Ministry of Infrastructure, and Jens Schreiter, Head of Division Fleet Service at Germanischer Lloyd. Schreiter welcomed the agreement: “This approval marks the result of an intensive cooperation. Already offering the full range of maritime services in Poland, now, we can support Polish shipyards and owners in newbuilding surveillance to ship in service inspections and certification for international conventions.”

Since the end of the 1970s Germanischer Lloyd has been represented in Poland. The official founding of GL Polen Sp. z.o.o. took place in 1992 with the hiring of three local surveyors. Today, GL Poland employs more than 50 staff members. In addition, in the Division Training Centre in Szczecin new employees from all over Europe find their feet to become marine surveyors. “Fleet in service attendance increased substantially throughout the past year”, explained Uwe Diepenbroek who manages Germanischer Lloyd’s service network in Poland, Baltic Countries, Russia and Ukraine. “GL is growing internationally, here in Poland we are especially growing in number of staff”, he stated.

The cooperation with the Technical Universities of Szczecin and Gdansk proved extremely fruitful in this context. This as well as the new training facilities, and further activities such as plan approval and ERS (Emergency Response Service) support have concentrated more technical expertise in Poland. In October, GL has opened its new Technical Support Office in Gdansk to meet the increasing demand for ERS. Already operating offices in Gdansk, Szczecin and Katowice, GL thus offers regional as well as international support made in Poland.

Apart from Poland, 130 further flag states have authorized GL to act on their behalf. According to annually published port state control statistics, Germanischer Lloyd has been ranking amongst the top classification societies for years. GL conducts safety surveys on board of more than 6,700 ships with over 76 Mio. GT.