By: OrePulse

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has begun requiring inspections and sea trials for vessels 25 years of age or older before granting them permission to transit the canal, according to instructions the authority's Movement Department circulated to shipping agents this week.

Under the new requirement, affected vessels must pass a comprehensive inspection and trials before transit is approved, and all applicable fees must be paid in advance, the SCA said. The rules took effect immediately and apply across vessel types.

Ships that return to the canal within six months of their last inspection are exempt from the new requirement, provided no defects, breakdowns or adverse technical findings were recorded during that previous check, according to the instructions.

The requirement affects a growing share of the global fleet. Shipping data provider Clarksons Research found that more than 150 million gross tons of the world's shipping fleet are now 25 years old or older, a figure that has risen 75% over the past five years. A record 68 million gross tons of vessels have now passed 30 years in service, according to Clarksons Research.

The Suez Canal is a key corridor for container and other shipping moving between Asia and Europe, and the additional inspection requirements for older vessels could add time and cost for operators running aging tonnage through the route.