Overview
ISO 18215:2015 - Ships and marine technology - Vessel machinery operations in polar waters - Guidelines provides practical guidance for ship designers and operational personnel on preparing and operating vessel machinery in the extreme cold of the Earth’s polar regions. Intended to supplement the IMO Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters and the IACS UR “I” Polar Class requirements, the standard focuses on pre‑operation planning, equipment selection, and crew procedures for safe, reliable machinery performance in Arctic and Antarctic conditions.
Key topics
- Cold‑weather diesel engine operations
- Special cold‑weather operating procedures and starting practices.
- Battery capacity loss example: a battery at 27 °C (~80 °F) may have only ~46% capacity at −17 °C (~0 °F).
- Cold‑weather starting aids
- Use of glow plugs, intake preheaters, block heaters and timers.
- Alternatives such as ether systems vs. modern direct‑injection systems.
- Fuel behavior and management
- Gelling/waxing, cloud point and Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP) considerations.
- Use of winter diesel additives and selection of ISO 8217 compliant marine distillate fuels.
- Lubricating oil viscosity
- Importance of correct oil viscosity for ambient temperature (standard includes recommended SAE grades such as 0W‑30, 5W‑40, 15W‑40).
- Note that synthetic oils typically perform better in extreme temperatures.
- Cetane number
- Fuel ignition quality impacts cold start and combustion; follow engine manufacturer recommendations.
- Other systems and operations
- Lifeboat engines, deck machinery, battery maintenance, storage of portable equipment.
- Operational practices: avoid prolonged idling, maintain adequate engine load, keep fuel tanks full to prevent condensation and freezing.
- Annexes
- Annex A: logistical and operational considerations for extremely cold weather.
- Annex B: battery maintenance considerations.
Applications and who should use it
ISO 18215:2015 is essential for:
- Ship designers and naval architects specifying machinery for polar service
- Shipyards implementing cold‑weather design features during construction
- Vessel operators, marine engineers and crew preparing operational procedures
- Classification societies, fleet managers and safety officers assessing readiness for polar voyages
Practical uses include pre‑departure checklists, specification of heaters and fuel systems, battery testing protocols, oil selection, crew training and port/stowage decisions for equipment used in polar operations.
Related standards
- ISO 8217 - Petroleum products - Specifications of marine fuels (normative reference in ISO 18215)
- IMO Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (complementary guidance)
- IACS UR “I” - Requirements Concerning Polar Class
ISO 18215:2015 helps translate polar‑specific risks into actionable machinery, fuel and operational measures to improve safety and reliability when operating in ice‑prone, low‑temperature environments.
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