What's the alternative?
Why training in alternative fuels is important for mariners – and everybody else in the maritime industry – and what The Nautical Institute is doing about it
Stephen Window and Jeff ParfittOver the last 12 months, the NI Academy has again widened its portfolio of courses. We have retained our focus on providing our members (and non-members) with relevant training that can make a positive and cost-effective impact on their careers. Some of these courses cover well-established areas of maritime operations; others look ahead to skills and knowledge that will be increasingly required in the future. One such course covers the introduction and use of alternative fuels.
What’s the NI’s interest?
The course was put together in line with the Green Curriculum developed by the NI’s lead on safety and the environment, Jeff Parfitt FNI. Jeff has extensive maritime experience covering nearly four decades at sea, followed by time ashore as Director of CHIRP Maritime. He joined The Nautical Institute in September 2021, just in time for COP 26 in Glasgow, which highlighted the importance of reducing maritime GHG emissions, and reducing reliance on HFO. This could only be done by the introduction of ‘novel’ fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen.
It rapidly became apparent to us that the maritime industry needed a clear, universal standard for training mariners who will be using the new fuels and need to know how to safely handle them. An initial statement setting out our position was published in August 2022, following widespread industry consultation. It became clear that it was not going to be possible to get agreement from all sides, and in January 2023, we published a revised paper setting out The Nautical Institute’s independent position, that the safety of the seafarer must form the core of any future fuel training programme. That document can be found here.
As one of the actions set out in that document, we have put together a training ‘standard’ for the maritime education and training sector.
This ‘standard’ is independent of any concurrent projects. It is intended to offer guidance for course content to training providers while STCW and SOLAS submissions take effect.
However, there is also a growing need to educate the broader maritime industry on the inherent risks associated with the use of alternative fuels. Given The Nautical Institute Academy’s expertise in developing and delivering short courses to the maritime sector, it made sense to develop this course in-house. Together, these components represent the realisation of our initial Green Curriculum concept.
More about the course
Steve: Jeff, you’ve been heavily involved in developing the green curriculum and alternative fuels. As the architect, why do you think there is a requirement for such a course?
Jeff: Already ships are coming into service with methanol fuels and soon there will be ammonia-fuelled vessels. As these alternative fuels continue to gather momentum, there will be a greater need for understanding the elevated environmental and operational risks associated with them. This understanding goes beyond seafarers’ educational needs. The seafarer needs are being addressed by other organisations, notably the Maritime Technologies Forum and the UN Global Compact Maritime Just Transition Task Force. Both of these organisations will be making submissions to the IMO for revisions to the ISM Code and STCW. This leaves a huge gap in the education of the wider maritime industry. Those associated with the industry, such as shipping company executives, DPAs, HR and technical departments, pilots, tugs, contractors, surveyors, P & I, class and more or less anyone with a need to visit one of these ships or who has specific business with them need to have an understanding of the risks that these fuels will bring, and a wider understanding of the implications of these fuels and their personal responsibilities.
Steve: There’s no way out of this challenge, for the maritime industry to meet zero carbon emissions by 2050 we must comply with the recommendations of the Paris Agreement and from there the IMO ‘revised strategy’. So there is no avoiding this subject.
At the same time, it’s an area of shipping operations that is not only new but carries immense risk if these alternative fuels are not handled correctly. Awareness and best practices are central to this. The purpose of this course is to educate and familiarise those in the industry so that they have a better understanding of the challenges ahead.
Following the pilot course, we decided to divide it into three parts. Tell me about the rationale behind the decision?
Jeff: When we put together the syllabus, the objective was to develop a generic familiarisation course for the maritime industry that was not aimed at the STCW mariner. During the pilot course we found that while some attendees will need more technical information, and some will need more information on the legal aspects of compliance, not everyone will need to know everything. Assessing the feedback from the attendees on the pilot course, we decided it would be better to split the course into three modules:
- Module 1: Introduction and overview of green fuels for shipping
- Module 2: Impact of shipping on Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
- Module 3: Overview of safety and best practices.
Module 1 is aimed at giving a broad understanding to anyone likely to come across green fuels, not just shipping industry managers and senior executives, but everyone working in any way with ships that use them – from shipbrokers to surveyors to stevedores. It outlines what the different fuels are, and the risks associated with them, along with practical advice on the precautions that should be taken.
The second and third modules are concerned with the legalities and technical issues associated with these novel fuels and the practicalities of dealing with them. This covers the safety and health hazards in more detail, along with the specific requirements for PPE when in the vicinity of these fuels for bunkering, technical maintenance and tank entry. In this way, those associated in the wider industry can better understand their responsibilities when visiting such a vessel or when selecting crew for such vessels. The three modules can be taken together or independently.
Will there be some kind of end test or exam?
Steve: Well, first of all, let me set your mind at rest, there is no summative test or exam. The second and third modules of the course do include challenging information, but it is focused on those who we feel need to have the information – that is why we have separated them from the first part of the course, which is all about the practicalities of dealing with these fuels and understanding the risks and hazards associated with them. So, there are three distinct modules. For some, it would be advisable to attend all modules and for others, the initial module will be sufficient.
Jeff: How will The Nautical Institute Academy deliver these courses?
Steve: As you’re aware, Covid impacted heavily on the shipping industry and this acted as a catalyst to changing our method of delivery. The Nautical Institute is committed to continued professional development and further education. We have found that the best way to reach out across our membership and across the wider industry is to deliver our courses online, and this is borne out by student feedback which is overwhelmingly in favour of this. While there will always be those with a preference for classroom-based learning, tutor-led learning delivered online allows the attendees to remain in their workplace or home location, and we are then able to pass on large savings in facilitation costs. So, we intend to deliver these courses online over one or two half days. In this way, we will be able to avoid online fatigue and maintain interest in the course.
We have found this to be a very economical and efficient way of course delivery. However, we do offer classroom-based delivery for companies.
Jeff: Overall, how would you sum up the course?
Steve: By providing this course, we aim to educate the wider maritime community in the challenges ahead, and in so doing, The Nautical Institute will assist with the safe transition of the industry to these novel fuels.
Click here for more information on the course and how to book it.