About 2.32% of ships inspected by an International Association of Classification Societies inspection campaign had power related deficiencies.
Just under 37,000 ships had their emergency power supply inspected over the full course of the year 2025 and deficiencies were found on 853 vessels.
IACS notes that there were several critical and recurring equipment failure points including the closing quick-closing valve, control /circuit (/relay), and emergency diesel generator starting arrangement.
“These failures indicate industry-wide issues with equipment maintenance, installation quality, or component durability,” IACS said, adding that the failures compromise SOLAS regulations for automatic emergency power supply activation. The campaign also identified non-equipment deficiencies including a lack of controlled blackout test procedures. “Simulated blackout tests are widely used, but do not test the actual circuit paths required for real blackouts, which gives ships’ engineers a false sense of readiness of the ship’s emergency systems,” IACS said, adding that the campaign also identified crew unfamiliarity with emergency diesel generator operation and the mis-selection of starting switch modes. IACS pointed to issues of human error as a contributor to malfunctions during emergencies.
Recommendations
IACS recommended that:
- during ISM audits, that there ought to be a focus on procedures for conducting a controlled blackout test for emergency diesel generators
- more attention ought to be paid to whether the testing arrangements and procedures for emergency diesel generators adequately demonstrate the functionality of the emergency power supply system as a whole
Commenting on the findings of the campaign, Robert Ashdown, IACS Secretary General, said: “We are grateful to our members for their close engagement and support for this Concentrated Inspection Campaign, which was prompted by a warning from the Tokyo MoU about potential risks in the testing of emergency power systems that may not meet SOLAS standards… [b]ased on these findings, the IACS panel set out a number of conclusions and recommendations on inspection and testing procedures, requirements, and crew training for emergency power system tests. These will play an important role in ensuring that emergency systems operate as intended, comply with SOLAS requirements, and enhance safety at sea.”
