KIOST Receives 'Underwater Radiated Noise Measurement Institution' Certification from Bureau Veritas of France... First in Korea

Standardizing 'Noise' as a Major Disruptor of Marine Ecosystems

Third After Norwegian and American Classification Societies

The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST, President Lee Heeseung) has become the first institution in Korea to obtain certification as a ship underwater radiated noise measurement organization from Bureau Veritas (BV) of France.

KIOST previously became the first domestic institution to receive certification as a ship underwater radiated noise measurement organization from the Norwegian classification society DNV in 2021, followed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) in 2022.

Bureau Veritas, established in 1828 for ship safety inspections, is a global inspection agency responsible for the classification, safety, and quality management of ships, aircraft, and offshore structures, with a network of over 580 offices in more than 150 countries worldwide.

With the increase in maritime transport and the growing size of ships, underwater radiated noise from vessels is considered a major factor disrupting marine ecosystems.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) officially discussed guidelines for regulating underwater radiated noise from merchant ships in 2014 and revised its guidelines last year to expand the scope of regulation to all ships.

Classification societies worldwide, including those in Korea, are standardizing the measurement and analysis methods for ship underwater radiated noise, developing their own rules for ship classification, and are currently working to integrate these standards into a single unified specification.

To actively respond to the IMO's underwater radiated noise regulations, KIOST has been continuously conducting related research since 2014 by introducing equipment for measuring and analyzing ship underwater radiated noise. In addition, in cooperation with major domestic shipyards, KIOST is conducting research to establish testbeds that enable continuous observation of underwater radiated noise at major domestic ports.

Lee Heeseung, President of KIOST, stated, "With this certification, it is expected that measurement of underwater radiated noise from large ships built at domestic shipyards will now be possible through KIOST."

President Lee also said, "We will continue to expand the scope of certification for ship underwater radiated noise measurement organizations to influential European classification societies such as Lloyd's Register of the United Kingdom."

Certificate of Underwater Radiated Noise Measurement Institution for Ships Issued by the French Classification Society.