World News
Report Calls for Common Standards for Safe Havens in Ammonia-Fuelled Ships
The shipping industry needs a common approach to designing and assessing emergency safe havens on ammonia-fuelled ships, according to a new report from the Lloyd's Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub.
A safe haven is a sealed refuge where crew can shelter from toxic ammonia gas during a leak while maintaining control of the vessel or preparing to abandon ship if necessary.
The IMO’s interim guidelines for the safety of ships using ammonia as Fuel require ammonia-fuelled vessels to be fitted with safe havens, but the report argues the guidelines provide only high-level requirements, leaving room for different interpretations.
It warns this could result in varying levels of safety across the future ammonia-powered fleet and proposes a common assessment framework to help designers, classification societies and flag administrations adopt a more consistent approach.
The recommendations draw on established practices in the offshore oil and gas and chemical industries.
The report says safe havens should be treated as part of a vessel's wider emergency response system and designed around three core functions: protection, command and control, and accessibility.
It also recommends testing them against standardised worst-case ammonia release scenarios, including major bunkering incidents, and maintaining them throughout a vessel's service life.
Key Bunker Prices More
| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 963.00 | 26.00 | 1351.50 | 10.50 |
| Rotterdam | 766.00 | 3.00 | 1446.00 | 11.50 |
| Houston | 817.00 | 11.50 | 1421.00 | 1.00 |
| Fujairah | 981.00 | 12.00 | 1768.50 | 17.50 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 929.50 | 10.50 | 1565.00 | 13.00 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 882.00 | 13.50 | 1496.50 | 9.50 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 978.50 | 20.00 | 1616.50 | 18.50 |
Popular Now More
-
Oct 23Rotterdam's bunker sales recovered slightly in Q3 from the previous quarter, but volumes remained well below year-earlier levels. -
Oct 23The acquisition includes eight bunkering vessels and a long-term lease for 28,000 m3 of tank capacity in Turkey. -
Oct 21Trading Director Maaz Ahmed tells Ship & Bunker that the firm plans to deploy more bunker barges in the future.