ICS task force launches first training standards for alternative marine fuels

In the UK, on September 17, the International Chamber of Shipping’s Maritime Just Transition Task Force released new training frameworks for seafarers working with ammonia, methanol and hydrogen, marking the first international effort to align skills and safety standards for alternative marine fuels.

The frameworks outline requirements for both junior crew and senior officers, covering classroom learning, simulation and onboard experience. Guidelines for educating shore-based staff are also planned. The material is intended to support national authorities, training institutions and shipping companies as they prepare crews to work with unfamiliar fuels that carry unique handling risks.

The project was developed with the International Maritime Organization, the World Maritime University and Lloyd’s Register’s Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, with funding from Lloyd’s Register Foundation. It feeds into a broader review of global seafarer training rules under the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping convention.

The Task Force was launched at COP26 by a coalition of labour, industry and UN agencies to coordinate workforce planning in the shift to low- and zero-carbon shipping. The release of the frameworks marks a step toward standardizing training before fuels like ammonia and hydrogen move into widespread commercial use.

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