A combined total of 21,466,272 gross tonnes, comprising 833 new ships, joined ClassNK in 2014, marking the fourth straight year that the classification society registered more than 20 million gross tonnes.

ClassNK's growth in 2014 comes despite a global downturn in the market, which saw newbuilding deliveries fall 15 per cent, according to Clarkson Research Services.

Nonetheless, ClassNK registered a total of 548 newbuildings totalling 16 million gross tonnes, or more than 25 per cent of all newbuilt tonnage in 2014 based on Clarkson's figures.

Growth was also driven by transfers from other societies, which reached a record 285 vessels in 2014, including ClassNK's first US-flagged and German-flagged vessels, reported London's Tanker Operator.

Said ClassNK chairman and president Noboru Ueda: "The acquisition of software leaders NAPA and Helm Operations has enabled us to widen the scope of our activities throughout Europe and North America."

At the end of December, 2014, ClassNK's register totalled 8,872 vessels with a combined total of 232,871,435 gross tonnes. Of the 833 vessels added, 548 were newbuildings, totalling 16,158,319 gross tonnes and 285 vessels were in operation coming in at 5,307,953 gross tonnes.