The International Maritime Organization (IMO), through Resolution MSC.290(87), requires that all new bulk carriers and oil tankers, 150m in length or above, with a building contact placed on or after July 1, 2016  or delivered on or after July 2020, store critical ship construction drawings and related intellectual property (IP) in a Goal Based Standard (GBS) compliant Ship Construction File (SCF). To support industry compliance, ABS developed a cloud-based, secure platform, the ABS SCF Archive, which helps owners and operators meet the IMO requirements.

The ABS SCF Archive offers a robust platform that simplifies the compliance process and provides IP holders with the confidence that their files are securely stored and can be used on both ABS-classed and non ABS-classed vessels. The ABS SCF Archive is available with an initial enrollment fee, and all documents stored are uploaded as either ‘on board’ or ‘on shore’, based on the IMO requirements, by the IP holder and remain only accessible by those with access rights. No annual fee for ABS SCF Archive Service is required, but an access fee is needed solely in the event of an emergency. For further information please contact your local ABS Engineering Office as per the table below.

For ABS-classed vessels during the new construction and delivery phase, ABS New Construction (NC) Engineering offices handle SCF requests. The shipyard, under a client SCF request agreement, uploads the IP documents into the commercial secure vessel container project. Access to these documents is strictly limited as per IMO guidance and permitted solely in the event of an emergency.

For Non-ABS Classed vessels, the shipyard and the ABS NC Engineering office coordinate directly to establish the SCF agreement, create the Freedom commercial-secure project and upload the required drawings and documents. The ABS NC Engineering office may request a class number or similar identification to register the vessel in the Freedom database as a “container” for the SCF, ensuring fast access in case of an event.

The process to upload and securely receive the stored documents is simple for the user, yet still meets the high-level security expectations put in place by the IMO and expected by the IP holder.

The SCF should be updated throughout the ship’s life at any major event, including but not limited to, substantial repair and conversion, or any modification to the ship’s structure.

Learn more about how ABS can help you comply with the IMO’s GBS-SCF standard and securely store your IP by contacting your local ABS NC Engineering office.