Industry body Intercargo, which represents the international dry bulk shipping industry, and RightShip, a maritime consultant and inspection company, have set up the Dry Bulk Centre for Excellence.
The DBCE has been set up to to evolve and disseminate the Dry Bulk Management Standard Framework. The DryBMS is a quality management standard, set of best practices and key performance indicators for the dry bulk sector that enables self-assessment by ship owners and ship managers.
“Ship owners and managers will then have the optional ability to share the results of their self-assessments with their charterer customers,” a statement from the DBCE reads.
The DBCE will be an independent, not-for-profit organisation, separate from its founding organisations, and will be run by an independent management team and will adopt a governance model convened from ship owners, managers, and charterers. The DBCE Board of Directors will be chaired alternatively by representatives from the community of ship owners/ ship managers and charterers and will have representation from RightShip, INTERCARGO and other industry stakeholders.
DBCE will be led by a newly appointed managing director, Ian McLeod, who commented, “I am delighted to be driving this new initiative. The launch of the DBCE is the next step for the industry in going beyond compliance and achieving excellence, with the support of the DryBMS framework. The welfare of crew, protection of the environment, and sustainable operation of assets form the bedrock of this initiative, all of which encourage companies towards better operational practices. This benefits not just ship owners, but all in the industry. We urge ship owners, managers, and other stakeholders across the sector, to use this tool and to join us on this transformative journey to make dry bulk shipping stronger, safer, and more sustainable.”
