DNV says the rules may be applied earlier to existing projects if all parties agree.
The update follows DNV's annual rule review and includes 92 published documents. Battery ready appears in DNV-RU-SHIP Pt.6 Ch.2 Sec.1 and applies to vessels prepared for batteries as part of the main onboard energy installation. Shore power ready appears in Pt.6 Ch.7 Sec.5 and applies to vessels prepared for a future shore-power installation. DNV July 2026 rules update
Neither notation means that the future system is already installed or approved for operation. They provide a class route for documenting preparation before that later installation takes place.
Battery ready
DNV has used the Battery Ready concept in its advisory work for several years. Its earlier Battery Ready material describes future-retrofit planning in terms of the intended battery location and size, the vessel's operating profile, engine or motor sizing and the technical changes that would be required when the batteries are eventually installed. It also describes concept review and risk assessment as part of the development process. DNV Battery Ready service
The new class notation moves that preparation into the Rules for Ships. DNV's July announcement defines the notation as applying where batteries are planned as part of the vessel's main onboard energy installation.
A Battery ready notation should therefore be distinguished from approval of an operating battery installation. DNV separately states that its Battery(Safety) notation is mandatory for lithium-ion battery installations above 20 kWh and that Battery(Power) applies where the vessel depends on batteries for propulsion. Those requirements relate to the installed system rather than preparation for a future retrofit. DNV: Safe implementation of decarbonization technologies
For a yacht or support vessel considering later hybridization, the practical design work can start before the battery is purchased. DNV's own Battery Ready material addresses where the energy storage would be located, how large it may need to be and how it would fit into the vessel's power concept. The final battery installation would still require the applicable class review, safety measures and commissioning when the conversion is carried out.
Shore power ready
The new Shore power ready notation applies to vessels prepared for a later shore-power installation. DNV had already signalled this approach in its earlier shore-power work, noting that retrofits can be difficult and expensive and that preparatory arrangements are easier to address during newbuilding design. DNV: A class notation for safe use of shore power
The electrical scope of shore power is wider than the connection point on deck. IEC/IEEE 80005-1, covering high-voltage shore connection, includes shore-to-ship interfaces, transformers or reactors, frequency converters, ship distribution and the associated control, monitoring, interlocking and power-management functions. IEC/IEEE 80005-1
For low-voltage systems, IEC/IEEE 80005-3:2025 covers shore and ship connection equipment, transformers and converters, the ship-side connection system, and protection, control, monitoring, interlocking and power-management integration for systems within its scope. IEC/IEEE 80005-3:2025
Those interfaces explain why future shore-power capability can affect the vessel's electrical design well before a shore cable is fitted. The future installation may have consequences for the main distribution arrangement, connection equipment, conversion equipment and control system. The class notation gives owners and yards a defined way to address that preparation during design rather than beginning with an unplanned retrofit later.
Relevance to classed yachts
The new notations are relevant where a DNV-classed yacht, support vessel or other ship wants to preserve the option of adding batteries or a shore-power system later in its life. They are particularly relevant to newbuilds and substantial refits where electrical spaces, switchboards and cable routes are still being designed or modified.
The notation itself does not determine whether a future battery or shore-power project is commercially worthwhile. It records that the vessel has been prepared to the applicable DNV rule requirements for that future conversion. The actual installation remains subject to the rules, standards and approval requirements in force when the equipment is fitted.
References
Now available: The July 2026 edition of the DNV class rules and standards for ship and offshore. DNV, 2 July 2026. Official class-society announcement. Confirms the 92-document release, 1 January 2027 entry into force, early application by agreement, and the new Battery ready and Shore power ready notations.
Battery and hybrid ships. DNV. Official advisory material describing Battery Ready planning and battery-system design considerations. Background source, not the 2026 rule text.
Battery Ready Service. DNV GL. Earlier official advisory flyer covering future retrofit preparation, battery location and sizing, power-system decisions and concept review. Historical background only.
Safe implementation of decarbonization technologies. DNV. Official background on the separate Battery(Safety) and Battery(Power) notations for installed battery systems.
A class notation for safe use of shore power. DNV. Official background on shore-power design, connection points, cable routing and preparation during newbuilding.
IEC/IEEE 80005-1:2019. IEC. Official standard summary for high-voltage shore connection systems.
IEC/IEEE 80005-3:2025. IEC. Official standard summary for low-voltage shore connection systems.
Sources reviewed 7 September 2026.