IMO Moves Forward with Alternative Fuel Training Guidelines for Seafarers

The maritime watchdog has developed interim guidelines for training seafarers working on ships powered by alternative marine fuels and new technologies. Image Credit: IMO

The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) sub-committee on Human Element, Training, and Watchkeeping (HTW) has agreed on draft interim guidelines to ensure that seafarers are properly trained to handle different types of alternative fuels and technologies safely.

The interim guidelines were agreed upon during last week's sub-committee meeting in London and will now be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee for approval in June, the IMO said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

The committee decided that training guidelines for seafarers should be provided in two ways:

• Generic Interim Guidelines – These will apply industry-wide, covering general safety principles and best practices for working with alternative fuels and new ship technologies.
• Fuel/Technology-Specific Interim Guidelines – These will be detailed and tailored to each specific fuel or technology, ensuring alignment with safety regulations already developed by other IMO committees. 

In the meantime, the sub-committee will also develop specific training guidelines for seafarers working on ships powered by fuels such as methanol, ammonia, LPG, hydrogen and batteries.

With the fleet of alternative-fuelled vessels set to expand in the coming years, industry organisations are calling for enhanced seafarer training, warning that some of these fuels pose significant risks to both operations and crew safety.

Reports from Lloyd's Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and the MMMCZCS indicate that around 800,000 seafarers will need upskilling to operate these ships, particularly those using ammonia, which is poised to become a key fuel for shipping decarbonisation.