DNV Standards for Offshore Lifting
Match the document to the question.
Four roles in the project basis.
These documents address different parts of a lifting project. Use the role map to find the relevant scope, then confirm applicability and the nominated edition with the project parties.
DNV-ST-0378
Check the equipment category and applicable design/certification basis.
Appliance scope →DNV-ST-N001
Check the marine-operation and marine-warranty basis where nominated.
Operation scope →DNV-RP-N103
Select analysis methods and validity limits for the actual operation.
Analysis scope →DNV-RP-N202
Check the system design, performance, validation and risk framework.
System scope →A role map is not a requirement to use all four documents. The equipment, installation, operation and agreed project basis determine applicability.
Design, delivered unit and operation are different evidence questions.
What design envelope is covered?
Record the design approval or Type Approval required by the agreed scheme, its scope and the conditions attached to it.
What evidence identifies this unit?
Record the required traceability, manufacturing survey, test and product or unit certification deliverables.
What accepts this application?
Record the project analysis, equipment limits and relevant class, statutory or MWS review for the proposed operation.
Set the required evidence in the certification plan. These categories do not imply that every deliverable is required in every scheme.
Read the existing certification-plan guidance →Keep the edition and project application with the code.
Edition 2017-07 · Amended 2021-09
This is the edition listed in DNV’s public catalogue. Confirm the edition nominated for the project and record its application in the project basis.
Check the DNV catalogue →Reading an older code or certificate?
Legacy codes help identify document lineage. They do not make editions, requirements or certificates interchangeable.
Successor lineages are shown with the current DNV prefixes. Retain the code, edition and amendment on the original certificate; use the detailed explanations below to check the project citation.
Verify the nominated document at the source.
The catalogue descriptions establish scope; the complete nominated document and project addenda establish the applicable requirements.
DNV standards and recommended practices are commonly referenced in offshore lifting and heave-compensation projects. Which documents apply depends on the equipment, intended installation, marine operation, class and flag basis, client specification and contract-nominated editions.
This overview positions four frequently referenced DNV documents. It does not imply that all four apply to every compensator or that they replace other class rules, statutory requirements, regional standards or project specifications.
How the documents are positioned
| Document | Publicly stated scope | Possible project role | For compensated lifts |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNV-ST-0378First issued 2016 · predecessor 2.22 · verify current/nominated edition | Offshore and platform lifting appliances within the document scope | Applicable design and certification basis for the equipment category | One possible hardware standard; confirm scope and deliverables |
| DNV-ST-N001Current public catalogue: 2023-12 · first issued 2016 | Marine operations and marine warranty | Operation-specific requirements and MWS basis where nominated | The project operation basis; no values reproduced here |
| DNV-RP-N1032017-07 · amended 2021-09 | Simplified formulations for marine-operation design loads | Methods selected for the actual operation and validity limits | Analysis input where nominated; not a universal coefficient table |
| DNV-RP-N2022024-06 | Heave-compensating systems | System design, performance, validation and risk framework | The HCS-specific framework where nominated |
| DNV-ST-E271 / E2732.7-1 offshore containers · 2.7-3 portable units | The lifted equipment — containers, baskets, skid-mounted units | Structure, padeyes, lifting sets, certification, marking and periodic inspection of CCUs and portable offshore units | What certifies the cargo hanging under the hook |
A CONSTELLATION lift study can document the approved hydrodynamic inputs, compensator model, response results and project-specific screening criteria. RP-N103 or RP-N202 forms part of that basis only where nominated.
DNV-ST-0378 — Offshore and Platform Lifting Appliances
Role. DNV-ST-0378 is used for offshore and platform lifting appliances within its defined scope. Applicability to a heave compensator depends on the compensator’s function, integration, equipment category, intended installation and the class/statutory and contractual basis.
Certification evidence. A project may require design approval, Type Approval, fabrication survey, testing and a product or unit deliverable in combinations set by the nominated edition and certification scheme. Type Approval does not by itself certify every delivered unit or approve a particular installation.
Values withheld. Material inspection-document classes, NDT extent and proof-load factors are not reproduced here because they must be taken from the contract-nominated edition and approved certification matrix for the actual category.
DNV-ST-N001 — Marine Operations and Marine Warranty
Scope. DNV’s public catalogue lists ST-N001 edition 2023-12 and describes a scope including load-out, construction afloat, voyages and installation/removal, as well as marine operations during development and decommissioning. It is not limited to the offshore lift itself.
Project use. Where nominated, ST-N001 provides the marine-operation and marine-warranty basis. The applicable dynamic-load method, environmental criteria, reference period, slack/snap treatment and MWS review scope must be read from the contract-nominated edition and project addenda.
This overview does not reproduce factor bands, minimum-tension values or universal weather-window criteria.
DNV-RP-N103 — Modelling and Analysis of Marine Operations
Scope and edition. DNV’s public catalogue lists RP-N103 edition 2017-07, amended 2021-09. Its stated objective is to provide simplified formulations for establishing design loads used in the planning and execution of marine operations.
Project use. Select the model, force components, coefficients, validity limits and outputs for the actual operation using the contract-nominated edition. This overview does not reproduce coefficient values or present a short list of analysis methods as universally prescribed.
DNV-RP-N202 — Heave Compensating Systems
Scope and edition. DNV’s public catalogue lists RP-N202 edition 2024-06. It provides a framework for design, verification, procurement and operation of heave-compensating systems, including terminology, applicability during operational phases, key design parameters, performance, validation and typical risks.
Project use. RP-N202 does not create automatic operating credit. Any claimed reduction in response or wider operating range must be demonstrated for the project model and validated equipment envelope, then accepted under the nominated project basis.
How heave compensators are certified
A certification plan for a compensator is project-specific. Define:
- the intended installation, equipment category, class/statutory basis and nominated standards and editions;
- the required design approval, Type Approval and application-specific verification;
- the approved material, traceability, welding and NDT matrix;
- the FAT, pressure, safety-function and load-test programme with witness points;
- the product, unit, survey and project deliverables required by the contract.
Do not treat `DNV product certificate or DNV Type Approval` as interchangeable end points. A Type Approval covers a defined type or design envelope; unit and installation evidence remain as required by the applicable scheme.
Adjacent standards
Other standards and regulatory instruments may apply alongside the DNV documents above. Selection is project-specific.
- SOLAS II-1/3-13 — in force from 1 January 2026 for defined onboard lifting appliances, anchor-handling winches and loose gear, subject to its application provisions and exemptions. DNV maps in-scope appliance types across ST-0377, ST-0378 and ST-0498.
- MSC.1/Circ.1662 and MSC.1/Circ.1663 — IMO implementation guidelines for anchor-handling winches and lifting appliances.
- Class, flag, client and regional standards — as required by the host vessel or unit, intended use and contract.
Confirm the flag Administration, vessel or unit status, equipment function, installation date and any SOLAS exemptions before choosing a certification path.
DNV lifting standards — frequently asked
What replaced DNV 2.22?
Are DNVGL and DNV document codes the same?
Which DNV standard applies to a heave compensator?
What is the minimum dynamic load factor under DNV?
Do compensated lifts automatically get credit under DNV rules?
How does SOLAS II-1/3-13 affect the standards map?
Related on Norwegian Dynamics
- DNV-ST-0378 Explained — offshore and platform lifting-appliance scope, certification evidence and project-specific applicability.
- DNV-ST-N001 Explained — marine operations and marine-warranty scope, including load-out, voyages and installation/removal where nominated.
- DNV-RP-N103 Explained — simplified formulations for marine-operation design loads, with methods and coefficients selected for the actual case.
- Crane Load Chart — how project dynamic-load inputs are used in a crane-capacity screen.
- Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) — response-ratio concepts and project-specific acceptance criteria.
Unsure which DNV standard governs your lift?
We can map the standards, editions, certification evidence and analysis deliverables for a proposed compensator configuration. Send the equipment and operation scope so the applicable path can be checked with the responsible class, flag, MWS and certification parties.
Free download · 8 pages
Offshore Lift Load Cases — ND benchmark figures
What a lift actually measures, with and without passive compensation, from Norwegian Dynamics' own time-domain simulations. It reproduces no standard — the value is the figures, which no standard publishes.
