With development of the concept of intelligent ship and intelligent ship technology in recent years, intelligent ship has become the general trend of global shipping. Though the intelligent ship technology is still at the start stage in China, the toplevel design and research of intelligent ship has already started according to the strategic requirement put forward by the“Made in China 2025”.

Considering the development direction and trend of intelligent ships, and with a view to leading the industry development and making shipping safer, more environment-friendly, more economic and reliable, CCS developed CCS Rules for Intelligent Ships based on the computer technology, navigation and communication technology, advanced sensor and control technology and other development and research achievements of international intelligent ship technology, as well as taking the application experience and development status of intelligent ships at home and abroad into full account.The Rules took effect on March 1, 2016.

The Rules are composed of six functional modules:intelligent navigation, intelligent hull, intelligent engine room, intelligent energy efficiency management,intelligent cargo management and intelligent integration platform.

Considering the constant development of intelligent ship technology, the Rules stipulates principle requirement for the application of new technology. If the systems and equipment using the new technology can reach the same level of safety required by CCS rules as testified by risk assessment and tests, design of these systems and equipment could deviate from CCS rules’ requirements.In addition, the Rules provides the risk assessment method and basis for approval of new technologies.

Intelligent ship has become the inevitable trend for the development of shipbuilding and shipping. Nowadays when the ship is becoming more and more intelligent and onboard systems and equipment are becoming more and more complex, ship owners, design institutes, ship yards and equipment manufacturers are thinking about the direction of intelligent ships, there is also an urgent need for corresponding rules and regulations to regulate the future onboard intelligent systems.

CCS Rules for Intelligent Ships filled in the gap. It is the first classification rule that covers the life cycle of intelligent ships from design, construction and operation.

In addition, the Rules is based on the existing rule system and can be integrated with existing CCS rule requirements.Meanwhile, the Rules is developed in an open manner so that it can accommodate continuously new application achievements to improve and detail the existing technical requirements.