A new report from the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub is calling for the shipping industry to adopt a common approach to designing and evaluating emergency “safe havens” on ammonia-fuelled vessels, according to Ship & Bunker.
The report, titled Safe Havens for ammonia-fuelled ships, addresses a critical safety feature required for vessels using ammonia as fuel. As Ship & Bunker explains, a safe haven is a sealed refuge area where crew members can shelter from toxic ammonia gas in the event of a leak, allowing them to either maintain control of the ship or prepare to abandon it if the situation escalates.
Gaps in Current Guidelines
According to Ship & Bunker, the International Maritime Organization’s interim guidelines on ammonia-fuelled ship safety already mandate that vessels be equipped with safe havens. However, the report argues these guidelines only set high-level requirements, which leaves significant room for differing interpretations across the industry.
The report warns that this lack of specificity could lead to inconsistent safety standards across the emerging fleet of ammonia-powered vessels, Ship & Bunker reports. To address this, the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub proposes a common assessment framework designed to help vessel designers, classification societies, and flag administrations align their approaches.
Framework Draws on Offshore and Chemical Sectors
According to the report, as detailed by Ship & Bunker, the recommendations are informed by established safety practices already used in the offshore oil and gas and chemical industries. The report suggests that safe havens should not be treated as standalone features but rather as an integrated part of a vessel’s broader emergency response system.
Three core functions are identified as essential to safe haven design: protection, command and control, and accessibility. The report also recommends that these spaces be tested against standardized worst-case ammonia release scenarios, including major incidents that could occur during bunkering operations. Additionally, it stresses the importance of maintaining these safety systems throughout a vessel’s entire operational lifespan, Ship & Bunker notes.
Does This Matter to You?
As ammonia gains traction as an alternative marine fuel in the industry’s decarbonisation efforts, safety infrastructure standards will become increasingly important for vessels adopting this fuel type. Inconsistent safety requirements across classification societies and flag states could create uncertainty for those involved in vessel design, newbuilding projects, and fleet operations involving ammonia propulsion.
The report’s focus on bunkering-related worst-case scenarios also signals that ammonia bunkering operations themselves may face closer scrutiny regarding safety protocols going forward. The source material does not provide further detail on how or when these proposed standards might be adopted by regulatory bodies.
Gulf Bunkering does not provide operational or security guidance. This article is for informational purposes only. Operators should consult flag state authorities, P&I clubs, and relevant advisories for decisions relating to transit planning.
Sources: Ship & Bunker
