EMEA News
Seafarers 'Willing but Wary' of Ammonia Bunker as Fuel, Survey Finds
The operational safety of ammonia as bunker fuel will be key to its wider acceptance according to the findings of a survey of seafarer attitudes towards the alternative fuel.
The Maersk McKinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping survey got in touch with over 2,000 respondents across a range of maritime operations and with varying levels of experience of working with the alternative fuel.
It found that while the majority of respondents would be willing to sail or work with ammonia-fuelled vessels, the same respondents expressed caveats on safety.
"While more than half of the respondents were willing to sail on or work with ammonia-fueled vessels, these respondents nevertheless raised some specific concerns, especially regarding training and safety," a statement from the center said.
Survey participants had a good understanding of the toxicity of the fuel but lacked understanding of some technical aspects of ammonia handling and operations.
In addition, the results found that there was concern over the effectiveness and readiness of regulations for working with the new fuel.
The survey concluded that there is a "willingness among the majority of the maritime community to sail on and work with ammonia-fueled vessels" but that there are "several barriers including comprehensive training and safer ship and system designs" outstanding that will need to be addressed.
