- The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved the draft of interim guidelines for the safe use of ammonia as marine fuel.
- The Ammonia Energy Association (AEA) hails this as a crucial step towards wider adoption of ammonia as a clean fuel.
- The guidelines prioritize ship design, fuel tank arrangement, and safety systems to mitigate risks associated with ammonia’s toxicity.
The approval by the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of draft interim guidelines for the safety of ships using ammonia as fuel is hailed by the Ammonia Energy Association (AEA) as ‘another key step’ towards the wider adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel, reports Bunkerspot.
MSC approved the draft at its 109th session, taking place this week at the IMO’s London headquarters. The 45-page text was previously developed by the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC 10) in September, and will be published as a circular letter after the meeting.
A Milestone for Ammonia!
The interim guidelines aim to provide an international standard for ships using ammonia as fuel. They cover vessel design and the arrangement of fuel tanks, machinery space, fuel piping and containment systems to protect people and the environment against leaks or release of ammonia, which is known for its toxicity. They also include provisions for bunkering and fuel supply, as well as control, monitoring and safety systems.
‘The IMO is working hard on all the necessary instruments for ammonia to be widely adopted as a marine fuel, and this is another key step in that process,’ Trevor Brown, Executive Director at the Ammonia Energy Association, told Bunkerspot. ‘The guidelines give ship owners, operators and crew confidence that ammonia fuel can be stored and utilised safely onboard, and will enable more first-mover, ammonia-powered vessels to hit the water,’ he added. ‘The AEA looks forward to further announcements from the IMO in the near future, as the global shipping industry ramps up its adoption of new fuels.’
MSC 109 is also expected to adopt amendments to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code), covering the use as fuel of cargoes identified as toxic products, later this week.
Amendments to the International Code of Safety for Ship Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code), related to ship design, fire safety, ventilation and other safety issues, are also scheduled to be adopted this session. Further amendments to the IGC Code, providing a more extensive update of the Code’s different chapters, were approved by MSC 109 on Tuesday. Those will be circulated with a view to adoption at the Committee’s next meeting (MSC 110) in June 2025.
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Source: Bunkerspot
