IMO: Training of seafarers aboard clean fuels-powered ships made easier

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) sub-committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW) has adopted draft interim generic guidelines for training seafarers working on ships powered by alternative fuels and new technologies.

As disclosed, the draft guidelines are set to be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee for approval in June 2025.

It is understood that the HTW sub-committee recognized the maritime industry’s ever-growing need for such guidance during a session held in London from February 10 to February 14, 2025, when the organization cited the increasing use of sustainable fuels and the associated safety risks as the main drivers of the recent endeavor.

The sub-committee shared that this kind of guidance should be provided through both generic interim guidelines applicable across the whole industry and relevant to all eco-friendly fuels and new technologies, and individual sets of fuel/technology-specific interim guidelines, closely aligned with safety stipulations created by other IMO bodies.

Now that the draft has been finalized, according to IMO, the sub-committee has begun developing specific training guidelines for seafarers working on methyl/ethyl alcohol-fueled ships—an initiative expected to be continued in between sessions under a Correspondence group focused on the development of training provisions for seafarers on ships using alternative fuels and new technologies.

As informed, the correspondence group will embark on a mission to create interim training guidelines that also comprise individual sets of stipulations for:

• the use of methyl/ethyl alcohol as fuel;
• the use of ammonia as fuel;
• hydrogen fuel cell-powered ships;
• the use of LPG as fuel;
• the use of hydrogen as fuel; and
• battery-powered ships.

It was unveiled that the correspondence group is going to submit a report on its progress to the sub-committee at the 12th session of the Sub-Committee (HTW 12) to be held in 2026.

In addition to crafting the guidelines, the IMO shared that HTW also addressed a few other ‘crucial’ points, i.e. the completion of Phase 1 of the review of the STCW convention and code with a work plan for Phase 2, drafting the MSC resolution on the accessibility of information on seafarer medical certificates and established medical practitioners, validating the revised model courses for seafarer training, and identifying fraudulent certificates.

HTW’s session and the ensuing efforts come on the heels of another initiative led by the IMO, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) which signed a letter of agreement with the global maritime industry regulator to explore the prevailing seafarer shortage issue while setting up career opportunities for aspiring seafarers from developing nations.

Running from 2025 to 2026, the NextWave Seafarers project will reportedly provide 20 cadets from the least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) with a year of onboard training through the KSA’s Bahri Shipping Line.

As informed, the overarching goal of the project is to create a ‘scalable’, onboard cadet-training framework to develop, upskill and retain future workers; address key barriers preventing LDCs and SIDS cadets from entering the industry; promote gender diversity by actively encouraging women to join the program; and present the endeavor as a pilot model that can be replicated on a worldwide scale.

The IMO has underscored that this effort could pave the way for building a “skilled, diverse, future-ready and resilient” maritime workforce.

With roughly 1.9 million seafarers ensuring the movement of over 80% of global trade, the maritime industry faces an urgent workforce overhaul, especially as demands on sea and ocean transport skyrocket.

Yet, with the invention and implementation of new, ‘advanced’ technologies, one major obstacle has threatened to hamper the industry’s decarbonization ambitions: a shortage of workers qualified to handle the ‘unique’ risks that come with alternative fuels such as ammonia.

Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (The Decarb Hub) and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) have found that a staggering 800,000 workers need to be upskilled to handle the hazards associated with handling ammonia and ammonia-powered vessels.

While an industry survey led by MMMCZCS showed that the majority of the maritime community was willing to work with ammonia-fueled vessels, most of the participants stated that their stance depended on comprehensive training programs being in place.

The Decarb Hub and MMMCZCS agree that while IMO’s STCW code provides foundational knowledge, it ‘fails to equip seafarers with the knowledge they need to safely work with ammonia’.

Given the exponential growth of the worldwide sustainable fuel-powered fleet, the IMO believes that the NextWave project could also play a ‘big’ role in creating a ‘steady’ influx of skilled professionals into the sector.

The organization’s Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez stressed the significance of strengthening the maritime industry’s workforce, stating: “The future of the global shipping industry depends on its people, and this initiative has the potential to transform maritime careers for young seafarers worldwide.”