Seafarers Caught in the Middle of Shipping's Fuel Transition

The ammonia-fueled container ship Yara Eyde will operate between Norway and Germany. Image Credit: Yara Clean Ammonia

Seafarers are at the frontline of the shipping industry's transition to alternative fuels, yet the training and regulatory framework to support them remains incomplete.

While ammonia and hydrogen offer near zero-emission potential, both come with significant safety risks - ammonia's toxicity and hydrogen's high flammability require specialised handling procedures.

Analysing accidents in other industries helps devise strategies to prevent accidents related to hydrogen and ammonia systems on ships, classification society DNV said in its latest white paper on alternative fuels. 

Lessons from land-based industries show that human and organizational factors play a critical role in safety incidents.

"Nearly half the incidents analyzed were related to human and organizational factors," notes a recent EMSA study referenced in the white paper.

"This emphasizes that training the operating personnel and including fuel-related hazards in the safety management systems will be crucial to preventing future incidents."

Despite this, the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) - the global framework that ensures seafarers are properly trained - has yet to establish dedicated training courses for ammonia and hydrogen fuels.

While STCW already includes training for LNG-fuelled ships under the IGF Code, specific guidelines for these new fuels remain in development.

The IMO is expected to initiate work on training programs in 2025, but full integration into the STCW framework may take years.

In the meantime, DNV and other industry leaders are stepping in to bridge the gap, offering training frameworks and best practices.

However, until comprehensive regulations and training programs are in place, seafarers remain in a precarious position - tasked with operating new fuel systems without the standardized support they need.