Regulation 20-1

( a ) Purpose The purpose of this Regulation is to provide additional safety measures in order to address the fire safety objectives of this chapter for vehicle carriers with vehicle and ro‑ro spaces intended for carriage of motor vehicles with compressed hydrogen or compressed natural gas in the motor vehicles’ tanks for their own propulsion as cargo. ( b ) Application (i) In addition to complying with the requirements of Regulation 20, as appropriate, vehicle carriers constructed on or after 1 January 2016 intended for the carriage of motor vehicles with compressed hydrogen or compressed natural gas in their tanks for their own propulsion as cargo shall comply with the requirements in paragraphs ( c ) to ( e ) of this Regulation. (ii) In addition to complying with the requirements of Regulation 20, as appropriate, vehicle carriers constructed before 1 January 2016, including those constructed before 1 July 2012 * , must comply with the requirements in paragraph ( e ) of this Regulation. * Refer to the Recommendation on Safety Measures for Existing Vehicle Carriers Carrying Motor Vehicles with Compressed Hydrogen or Natural Gas in their Tanks for their own Propulsion as Cargo (MSC.1/Circ.1471). ( c ) Requirements for spaces intended for carriage of motor vehicles with compressed natural gas in the motor vehicles’ tanks for their own propulsion as cargo (i) Electrical equipment and wiring All electrical equipment and wiring must be of a certified safe type for use in an explosive methane and air mixture * . * Refer to the recommendations of the International Electrotechnical Commission, in particular, publication IEC 60079. (ii) Ventilation arrangement (1) Electrical equipment and wiring, if installed in any ventilation duct, must be of a certified safe type for use in explosive methane and air mixtures. (2) The fans must be designed such as to avoid the possibility of ignition of methane and air mixtures. Suitable wire mesh guards must be fitted over inlet and outlet ventilation openings. (iii) Other ignition sources Other equipment which may constitute a source of ignition of methane and air mixtures are not permitted. ( d ) Requirements for spaces intended for carriage of motor vehicles with compressed hydrogen in the motor vehicles’ tanks for their own propulsion as cargo (i) Electrical equipment and wiring All electrical equipment and wiring must be of a certified safe type for use in an explosive hydrogen and air mixture * . * Refer to the recommendations of the International Electrotechnical Commission, in particular, publication IEC 60079. (ii) Ventilation arrangement (1) Electrical equipment and wiring, if installed in any ventilation duct, must be of a certified safe type for use in explosive hydrogen and air mixtures and the outlet from any exhaust duct must be sited in a safe position, having regard to other possible sources of ignition. (2) The fans must be designed such as to avoid the possibility of ignition of hydrogen and air mixtures. Suitable wire mesh guards must be fitted over inlet and outlet ventilation openings. (iii) Other ignition sources Other equipment which may constitute a source of ignition of hydrogen and air mixtures are not permitted. ( e ) Detection When a vehicle carrier carries as cargo one or more motor vehicles with either compressed hydrogen or compressed natural gas in the motor vehicles’ tanks for their own propulsion, at least 2 portable gas detectors must be provided. Such detectors must be suitable for the detection of the gas fuel and be of a certified safe type for use in the explosive gas and air mixture. [S 802/2015 wef 01/01/2016] [S 872/2019 wef 01/01/2020]