The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF), whose members include ABS, DNV, Lloyd’s Register, ClassNK, Japan’s Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the U.K.’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore, recently held a half-day seminar during the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2024. 

The seminar, moderated by Dr Pierre Sames, DNV Strategic Development Director, addressed the topics of two recent MTF reports on safety considerations for establishing green shipping corridors and a new industry guideline to develop and implement a Safety Management System (SMS) for alternative fuels on board ships. 

It is the aim of MTF to bridge the gap between technological progress and regulatory process. With this, MTF encourages early testing of new technologies which in turn helps shape future requirements and regulations. 

Kicking off the session, Simen Diserud Mildal of the Norwegian Maritime Authority, who was the lead author of MTF’s green shipping corridors safety study, explained that the newly proposed safety checklist serves as a tool for stakeholders as they address safety aspects at the outset of establishing a green shipping corridor.

During the panel discussion, Mr. Prashanth Athipar, BHP’s Maritime Technical and Safety Principal, told the audience that the industry cannot take safety lightly when planning green corridors. He noted that the adoption of alternative fuels was a necessity. He stressed the importance of preparing all stakeholders – including seafarers and those handling fuels in ports – through comprehensive training programmes. 

From the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Mr New Wei Siang, Director (Decarbonisation and Net Zero pathways), said in reference to green corridors and alternative fuels that while there are many unknowns, the industry needs to be nimble and flexible in dealing with the use and storage of fuels such as ammonia, which has been successfully trialled in Singapore, while continuing to prioritise safety.

It was also pointed out by Capt. Kamal Hossain, Hong Lam Marine, that the complexity in the implementation of alternative fuels should not be underestimated; and that sharing experiences from pilot projects and crew readiness will be key for accelerating. Early preparation and a safety checklist will greatly help moving forward and will surely accelerate the process, but we need to do it step by step. 

Other key takeaways from the panel debate included Lloyd’s Register’s Head of Regulatory Affairs, Andrew Sillitoe, suggesting that it is vital to consider safety at an early stage to avoid a possible incident and associated backlash against that choice of alternative fuel. Helping early adopters and fast followers to manage the risks in a well-planned green corridor allows demonstration of safe use from which wider applications can grow.

The next session began with Yildiz Williams, Lead Marine Consultant, Lloyd’s Register, and MTF project manager for the new industry guidelines on developing and implementing a safety management system (SMS) for alternative fuels on board ships, who presented the recommendations of the new guidelines. Following her presentation, assembled panellists underlined that the proposed guidelines are seen as very relevant for the industry. 

Panellist Captain Himanshu Chopra, Managing Director of Anglo-Eastern Maritime Services, stressed the importance of sharing knowledge – as outlined in MTF’s new guidelines – across the industry. “We need to work more closely together. Collaboration is absolutely essential. The industry certainly needs to be working together if the knowledge transfer is to take place from an engine manufacturer working in Norway or Denmark to a seafarer in the Philippines or India. Seafarers are the solution and not the problem for decarbonisation,” he said.

BIMCO’s Ashok Srinivasan mentioned during the seminar that shipping companies approach decarbonisation differently based on their financial ability, fleet focus, risk appetite, and technological experience. No two companies are the same for various reasons, and therefore, it is only fair that they take differing approaches.

MCA’s Asst. Director for Technical Services, Prasad Panicker, said, “It needs to be remembered that the shipping industry is adept at adapting to changes. Prior examples are the response to introduction of things like AIS, ECDIS, ISPS, MLC, etc. The ISM Code is deliberately generic in nature which allows companies to tailor their safety management systems to comply with new requirements. The Code already contains a requirement for carrying out risk assessments and the introduction of new fuels would require assessment of additional risks introduced by the same and initiate mitigative measures.”

Georgios Kasimatis, DNV’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, stated that the safety management guidelines developed must be applied from the outset. “We all need to be fast learners. It is crucial to build on learnings from the introduction of LNG in the past and from near misses and incidents that may happen. In a future with multiple fuels, we need continuous awareness of all possible risks and excellence in safety culture.”

Photo credit: Maritime Technologies Forum
Published: 30 April 2024