DNV issues competence standards for methanol and ammonia use on vessels

The safety risks posed by two alternative fuels is addressed by DNV, which has issued a competence standard for methanol and for ammonia.

DNV’s guidance is designed to help ship owners, crews, and shoreside employees and partners to address the safety risks and other challenges posed by the new fuels being introduced as part of shipping’s decarbonization.

“Embracing new fuels and technologies is essential to achieving our decarbonisation goals, but these advancements introduce new risks, adding complexity to an already challenging operating environment,” says Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, DNV Maritime’s CEO. “To obtain a safe, timely, and impactful maritime transformation, we need to ensure safe operations by supporting both our seafarers and onshore personnel.”

DNV-ST-0687 covers “Competence related to the use of methanol as fuel” as a competence standard, while DNV-RP-0699 addresses “Competence related to the use of ammonia as fuel” as a recommended practice. They each detail the expected comprehension for using these respective fuels aboard a vessel. Ship owners can use the information to assess and verify an individual’s knowledge and skills to ensure that person is able to operate and maintain systems and equipment safely.

The documents are intended for use by ship owners for onboard familiarization and competence management, for maritime academies and training institutions to develop courses, as well as reference sources for third-party verifiers of competence assessments.