At the 111th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 111), the safety guidelines for ammonia as fuel on IGC ships have been approved, marking an important milestone in the transition towards sustainable shipping.
The development of these guidelines is the result of close cooperation between the Belgian Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport (FPS Mobility), Exmar and Lloyd’s Register (LR).
Nathalie Deleuze, FPS Mobility’s Maritime Expert in Alternative fuels, said: “As a public authority, we want to facilitate the energy transition by ensuring that an appropriate regulatory framework is in place in good time. Thanks to close cooperation with the industry, this framework is also tailored to the realities on the ground.”
Celine Audenaerdt, KBRV Head of Environmental and Technical Affairs, added: “Through intensive collaboration and the combination of strong in-house competence and hands-on experience, the partners have succeeded in developing robust and practical safety guidelines.”
Liam Blackmore, LR Global Head of Technology Adoption and Integration, said: “The approval of these guidelines provides a clear signal that ammonia is moving from concept to a fuel with an emerging international safety framework. It demonstrates how close collaboration between industry, flag administrations and technical organisations can accelerate the safe adoption of new fuels at scale. Being part of this collaboration reinforces our role as a trusted advisor helping to turn ambition into practical, scalable solutions for the maritime energy transition.”
The guidelines are not purely theoretical, but are said to be firmly grounded in real operational knowledge and expertise from within the sector.
Kristof Coppé, Exmar Director Fleet Operations & Technical Business Development, said: “Drawing on more than four decades of operational experience and the challenges encountered along the way, we jointly developed these guidelines through a strong partnership. We would like to thank the teams at FPS Mobility and Lloyd’s Register for their excellent cooperation and valuable contribution throughout the process.”
Building on Exmar’s and LR’s experience in midsize gas carriers shipbuilding, the Directorate-General Shipping of the FPS Mobility has taken the lead in the IMO to draft these guidelines. This guarantees that the regulatory framework reflects the real-world practice, enabling innovation while maintaining effective safeguards within a controlled environment.
According to LR, ammonia has the potential to play a significant role in decarbonising the maritime sector. The IMO had already adopted interim guidelines, supporting early movers and the first vessels designed to operate on ammonia. Once the first ammonia-fuelled ships enter into operation in the near future, these safety guidelines will demonstrate the acceptance of ammonia as a marine fuel and support its wider deployment, while experience gained will contribute to the development of a clear and robust international safety framework.
The joint effort underscores the leading role of Belgium and its maritime partners in enabling the safe adoption of alternative fuels, contributing to the global energy transition in shipping.
Image: Liam Blackmore, LR Global Head of Technology Adoption and Integration (source: Lloyd’s Register)
