Cologne/Yokohama, March 12, 2013. TÜV Rheinland, the top ten provider of technical services, and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) have started building a partnership that aims to internationally deploy wind turbine certification and facilitate related tasks. The cooperation of TÜV Rheinland Japan and Class NK includes mutual recognition of wind turbine certification and support in testing small wind turbines.
Both parties announce that they have agreed to mutually recognize evaluation and inspection results for wind turbine type certification. This will support manufacturers and shorten the certification process considerably.
At present, ClassNK is applying to the Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment to become accredited as a Certification Body for wind turbines. As soon as this accreditation is received, mutual acceptance of inspection results will start.
Both companies aspire to offer their wind turbine certification services globally and are seeking to contribute to safety, quality and reliability of wind turbines.
About ClassNK
ClassNK is Japan’s largest certification body in the area of ship inspections. With an inspection network in 122 countries worldwide, ClassNK is the world leader in terms of gross tonnage of registered ships. ClassNK began wind turbine certification in July 2011 and is currently offering inspection services for both small wind turbines and floating wind turbines.
TÜV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services, founded 140 years ago. The Group maintains a presence at around 500 locations in 65 countries with 17,000 employees. Annual turnover is EUR 1.5 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, the environment, and technology in nearly all aspects of life. TÜV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects and helps to shape processes for companies. Its experts train people in a wide range of careers and industries. To this end, TÜV Rheinland employs a global network of approved labs, testing and education centres. Since 2006, TÜV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Website: www.tuv.com
