Applicable to: This circular is for the attention of ship owners, managers, operators, agents, masters, crew members and surveyors

1 Shipping Circular No. 29 of 2008 informed the shipping community that all ships engaged on international voyage: passenger ships and cargo ships of 300 gross tonnage and above, and Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs).  must be fully compliant  with the LRIT regulation that has been inserted in SOLAS V/19-1 by the 1st Radio Survey after 31 December 2008. There is an exemption for ships operating exclusively in sea area A1 from the requirement to transmit LRIT information, since such ships are already fitted with the Automatic Identification System (AIS).

2 The MPA in compliance with MSC.1/Circ.1296 has appointed “Pole Star Space Applications Limited” as the Singapore Ship Registry’s Recognised Application Service Provider (ASP) to conduct the conformance test in accordance with the procedures and provisions set out in MSC.1/Circ.1296 for vessels registered in Singapore.
Application for Conformance Testing

3. Shipowners/managers are to ensure that their shipborne equipment is LRIT compliant and capable of transmitting LRIT information.
As part of the formal process for LRIT CT, all Ship Owners/ Operators are to complete the form which is downloadable from the following link:

http://lrit.com/documents/documentation/PoleStarLRITCT_FleetRegistrationForm.xls

4 Shipowners/ managers are advised to contact the Recognised ASP and its distributors with the completed form to have the conformance test conducted. The contact details of the ASP are as follows:

Name:   Pole Star Space Applications Limited
Email Address: lrittesting@polestarglobal.com
Telephone:  +44 (0)20 7313 7400
Fax:   +44 (0)20 7313 7401
Website:   http://www.lrit.com/wheretobuy.html#aspac

5 On satisfactory completion of a conformance test, the ASP will issue a ‘conformance test report’ on behalf of the MPA.  This ’conformance test report’ will be required to be submitted to MPA upon issue via the email lrit_crpt@mpa.gov.sg. MPA will issue the ‘LRIT Certificate of Compliance’ for the vessel. Please note that both the ‘Conformance Test Report’ and ‘LRIT Certificate of Compliance’ must be retained onboard the vessel for subsequent survey or inspection purposes. 

Fees for Conformance Testing and Certification

6.  Shipowner/manager shall bear the costs of the conformance test and the LRIT Certificate of Compliance. A fee will be charged by MPA to cover the cost of testing and issuance of the LRIT Certificate of Compliance. The fee for the successful conformance testing leading to the issuance of the LRIT Certificate of Compliance will be S$500. It is to be paid directly to MPA upon the owners/managers’ receipt of the ‘LRIT Certificate of Compliance’.

7. Shipowners and managers are advised to carry out the test in strict accordance with the protocol. Please note that there will be an additional testing charge of S$400 which would be payable directly to Pole Star for each conformance test to be repeated due to failed testing.

8. Conformance tests for all applicable Singapore-registered ships should be conducted as soon as possible. Any queries relating to this circular should be directed to Capt Anand Ulaganathan (DID: 6325 2477), Mr Ong Hua Siong (Tel: 63756210) or Mr Wong Kai Cheong (Tel: 6375 6236).

KHONG SHEN PING
DIRECTOR OF MARINE
MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

Enclosed:
(MSC.1/Circ.1296 - GUIDANCE ON SURVEY AND CERTIFICATION)