- Danish Shipping says the industry needs clear rules before new ships are built and the guidelines are an important step towards achieving carbon neutrality.
- While guidelines for the use of liquefied petroleum gas have been finalised, the work to develop technical provisions for ammonia and hydrogen has begun.
The International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) sub-committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) is currently developing guidelines for the use of ammonia and hydrogen as marine fuels, reports Engine.
Safety guidelines for ammonia and hydrogen
At the ongoing Marine Environment Protection Committee 81st session meeting (MEPC 81), member states of IMO have endorsed the work plan of the CCC for the development of these guidelines. The final draft of these guidelines is expected to be reviewed and approved by the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) in December.
Ammonia is highly toxic and corrosive in nature, and this has hindered its widespread adoption. In 2022, the IMO’s sub-committee CCC emphasised that the current International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) is insufficient to tackle the complex challenges of burning ammonia as a fuel.
The IGF Code entered into force in 2017 and was specifically designed for LNG as a fuel.
New guidelines could benefit ports such as Singapore, which seeks to establish ammonia bunkering by 2026.
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Source: Engine
