UK Chamber of Shipping Maps Safety Risks of Alternative Marine Fuels
Key Takeaways
- •The UK Chamber of Shipping published an industry-first report consolidating safety evidence across five alternative marine fuel types, developed through a working group of more than 200 participants from over 50 organisations.
- •The report identifies fuel-specific hazards, including contamination and material incompatibility for biofuels, toxicity and containment risks for ammonia and methanol, and thermal runaway concerns for battery systems.
- •The study supports shipping's efforts to meet the IMO target of reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels.
- •The Chamber warns that stronger design and process safety frameworks are urgently needed, as ammonia- and methanol-fuelled vessels are already entering service and dual-fuel vessel orders are expanding across multiple segments.
The UK Chamber of Shipping has published a new report examining the safety risks associated with alternative marine fuels, as the maritime industry accelerates its transition away from conventional fossil-based bunker fuels toward lower-carbon options.
The report, titled Alternative Fuels: Building the Safety Evidence Base, was released on Monday and provides preliminary risk assessments covering biofuels, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and battery systems.
The work was developed through the Chamber's Safety of Alternative Fuels Working Group, which involved more than 200 participants from over 50 organisations. The Chamber describes it as an industry-first effort to consolidate safety evidence across multiple candidate fuels, reflecting the breadth of technologies under consideration as shipping lines evaluate pathways to meet international climate targets, including the International Maritime Organization's goal of reducing total annual greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels.
Fuel-Specific Risk Profiles
For biofuels, the report highlights risks including fuel contamination, material incompatibility, and problems arising from water ingress and bacterial growth.
Methanol risks include loss of containment, toxic exposure, non-visible flames, and the hazards associated with simultaneous bunkering and cargo operations.
For ammonia, the fuel's high toxicity makes loss of containment a primary concern, particularly during bunkering operations. The report also emphasises the need for ports and nearby vessels to be prepared to respond to ammonia-related emergencies.
Hydrogen presents storage, explosion, and material compatibility risks, while thermal runaway and fire dominate the risk profile for battery systems.
Call for Stronger Safety Frameworks
The Chamber said stronger design and process safety frameworks will be needed as alternative fuels move towards wider commercial deployment. With the first ammonia- and methanol-fuelled vessels already entering service and orders for dual-fuel tonnage expanding across container, bulk, and tanker segments, the report signals that safety standards must keep pace with deployment timelines.
The report is available for download via the UK Chamber of Shipping.
