Ammonia

New safety and training resources launched for ammonia-fuelled vessels

LR Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and MMMCZCS launched a new suite of resources to help shipowners, operators and managers prepare for the safe adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel.

Published

1 hour ago

August 18, 2026

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Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (Decarb Hub) and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) on Thursday (13 August) launched a new suite of resources to help shipowners, operators and managers prepare for the safe adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel.

The resources include an Ammonia Process Safety Management (PSM) Maturity Self-Assessment Tool and a series of Ammonia Competency and Training Practitioner Handbooks.

Collectively, they form part of the ‘Fuel Safety Frameworks: Ammonia’ initiative, developed jointly by the Decarb Hub and MMMCZCS, which brings together expertise from across the shipping, energy, fuel production, training and technology sectors.

In preparation for ammonia-fuelled shipping, real progress has been made in understanding the technical requirements for safe ammonia fuel systems. However, ammonia’s hazard profile – particularly its toxicity – introduces safety challenges that need to be managed throughout a vessel’s operating life. This points to a need for new approaches to operational safety management, training and risk control, both ashore and at sea. Vessel operators with more mature safety management organisations, staffed by teams with the right competencies, will be better placed to control ammonia’s hazards and reduce the risk of incidents.

The Ammonia PSM Maturity Self-Assessment Tool aims to help shipowners, operators and managers evaluate where their safety management practices stand today and what might need to improve to achieve ammonia readiness. It uses a 5-tier maturity scale to identify weaknesses and to track improvements over time, helping to strengthen the controls that prevent ammonia incidents.

As best practices for managing ammonia safety are still emerging in maritime, the tool borrows its evaluation framework from industries that already manage similar hazards, such as chemical processing and oil & gas. The tool is designed to support ongoing improvement rather than to check compliance, and works alongside existing regulations and requirements.

The three Ammonia Competency and Training Practitioner Handbooks have been developed to help organisations understand what different members of the maritime workforce need to know, understand and be able to do when working with ammonia.

They focus on three safety-critical areas: Emergency Response; Maintenance; and Leak Detection, Management, Isolation and Repair. Each handbook translates realistic ammonia operational scenarios into competency and training expectations for shipboard and shore-based roles, including seafarers, vessel managers, terminal personnel, shore support teams and emergency responders.

These resources build on the partners’ established Ammonia Phase 3 Competencies and Training project, which identified the capabilities and operational requirements needed to support the safe deployment of ammonia-fuelled vessels.

Tom Chitseko, Head of Risk and Safety at Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, said: “The industry has made significant progress in understanding the technical requirements for ammonia-fuelled vessels. People, processes and organisations must be equally ready. These resources provide practical guidance to help shipowners, operators and managers build that readiness and more systematically manage the risks posed by use of ammonia as a marine fuel.”

Martin Eriksen, Head of Safety Leadership & Operations at the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, said: “Ammonia asks for more of our safety management than the conventional fuels we’re used to. A leak that would be a contained minor technical failure with conventional fuel can become an operational crisis with ammonia.

“This tool has been developed so operators don’t have to work that out the hard way — it gives them a structured way to see where their safety management stands today, and what ‘ammonia-ready’ looks like in practice.

“Additionally, the tool draws on process safety management having decades of track record in chemical engineering and oil & gas, handling exactly the kind of hazards ammonia introduces. This tool translates that experience into something maritime operators can use, in their language, against their operations.”

Note: The Ammonia PSM Tool and Competency and Training Practitioner Handbooks are available free of charge from the Decarb Hub/Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.

Photo credit: Chris Pagan on Unsplash
Published: 18 August, 2026

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Germany launches EUR 70 million funding programme for green inland shipping corridors

Alternative Fuels

Germany launches EUR 70 million funding programme for green inland shipping corridors

Eligible projects include the installation of zero- or low-emission propulsion systems on newbuild and existing cargo vessels, as well as investments in port infrastructure for alternative fuels.

Published

1 hour ago

August 18, 2026

Admin

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV) recently opened the first funding call under its new programme for green inland navigation, with up to EUR 70 million (USD 81 million) available for projects to develop green inland shipping corridors.

The funding will support the deployment of zero- and low-emission inland vessels and the development of associated infrastructure.

Eligible projects include the installation of zero- or low-emission propulsion systems on newbuild and existing cargo vessels, as well as investments in port infrastructure for alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol.

Funding will also cover facilities for producing renewable electricity and renewable hydrogen, along with storage systems. Infrastructure at transhipment and berthing facilities outside ports, including charging, refuelling and mobile supply equipment, is also eligible.

Companies, municipalities and other economically active organisations based in Germany can apply under the first funding call, which focuses exclusively on establishing green inland shipping corridors. Applications opened on 17 August through the German government’s easy-Online funding portal.

The initiative is also intended to encourage a greater shift of freight and passenger transport to inland waterways, while supporting Germany’s climate targets, European alternative-fuels infrastructure requirements and the long-term competitiveness of the country’s inland shipping sector.

Photo credit: Maxime Vandenberge on Unsplash
Published: 18 August, 2026

Bunker Fuel

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales down by 3.8% on year in July 2026

4.73 million mt of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in July, up from 4.92 million mt recorded during the similar month in 2025.

Published

1 day ago

August 17, 2026

Admin

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales down by 3.8% on year in July 2026

Sales of marine fuel at Singapore port fell by 3.8% on year in July 2026, according to data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

In total, 4.73 million metric tonnes (mt) (exact 4,731,900 mt) of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in July, up from 4.92 million mt (4,918,000 mt) recorded during the similar month in 2025.

Deliveries of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in July (against on year) recorded respectively 1.95 million mt (zero from 1.95 million mt), 2.33 million mt (-2.1% from 2.38 million mt), 1,600 mt (+100% from zero), 700 mt (-82% from 3,900 mt) and zero (from zero).

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales down by 3.8% on year in July 2026

Bio-blended variants of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in July, (against on year) recorded respectively 8,200 mt (-83.7% from 50,300 mt), 29,900 mt (-62.9% from 80,500 mt), zero (from zero), zero (from zero) and zero (from zero). B100 biofuel bunkers, introduced in February last year, recorded 1,400 mt (-46.2% from 2,600 mt).

LNG and methanol sales were 58,700 mt (+41.4% from 41,500 mt) and zero (from zero) respectively. There were no recorded sales of ammonia for the month and so far since 2025.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 17 August, 2026

Alternative Fuels

Ammonia, methanol bunkering workshops to be held at 13th Singapore Safety@Sea Week

Three workshops on ammonia bunkering, methanol bunkering, and crew safety awareness are part of MPA’s Safety@Sea Week, which will be held from 17 to 21 August.

Published

1 day ago

August 17, 2026

Admin

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), together with industry partners, on Monday (17 August) launched several new initiatives to enhance maritime safety.

Announced at the opening of the 13th Singapore Safety@Sea Week, these initiatives will support shared learning, strengthen operational capabilities, and prepare the industry for the safe adoption of new technologies.

Organised by MPA from 17 to 21 August, this year’s Safety@Sea Week is themed “All Hands on Deck – Safety First!”. About 1,500 participants from across the maritime community are expected to take part in 18 events organised by MPA and its partners.

These include the Safety@Sea Symposium, featuring seven speakers across two panel sessions, and three workshops on ammonia bunkering, methanol bunkering, and crew safety awareness.

Speaking at the opening, Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport, highlighted three priorities for strengthening maritime safety: harnessing technology responsibly, preparing early for emerging risks, and keeping people at the centre of safety. He also underscored the importance of strong partnerships across the maritime community in building a strong safety culture.

At the opening of Safety@Sea Week, the National Maritime Safety at Sea Council and the Singapore Shipping Association launched the Singapore Near Miss Reporting System to encourage the reporting and sharing of lessons from near miss incidents.

Modelled on the internationally recognised Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP), the system provides sea space users with a confidential online channel to report near misses. CHIRP will independently receive the submissions and provide anonymised information to the Council, which will distil key safety lessons for sharing with the wider maritime community.

Note: More information about the event can be found here.

Photo credit: Peter Nguyen on Unsplash
Published: 17 August, 2026