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Reaching net zero needs support of, and for, seafarers
By Anastasia Kouvertari
As the maritime industry moves towards decarbonisation, the transition to zero and near-zero greenhouse gas emission fuels represents far more than merely a technological shift. In essence, it calls for an overhaul in the training of the maritime workforce.
The scale of this challenge cannot be overstated. Current projections estimate that approximately 800,000 seafarers will require upskilling and reskilling within the next decade to safely handle vessels powered by alternative fuels. While fuels like ammonia and hydrogen have been transported as cargo for years, their use as marine fuels creates new and significant operational challenges that require tailored safety measures, procedural modifications and competency-based training.
Ammonia’s extreme toxicity requires advanced emergency response protocols and specialised protective equipment. Methanol’s flammability and corrosive nature demands improved fire detection systems and enhanced safety procedures. Hydrogen’s near-invisible flames require innovative detection technologies and comprehensive fire safety training.
In response to this challenge, the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (the Decarb Hub), a partnership between the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and Lloyd’s Register Group, has established a dedicated Human Safety and Risk team. With expertise in engineering risk, human factors and process safety, the team ensures that safety remains the cornerstone of the energy transition. Their approach is rooted in evidence-based risk management and human-centric safety design, which will effectively be complemented by rigid training frameworks that will equip seafarers with the necessary skillset to join the modern ships of the future propelled by the green molecules.
Bridging the skills gap
Current training standards simply cannot keep pace with technological advancements. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) is undergoing a comprehensive review, with over 500 regulatory gaps identified. However, substantive amendments won’t be finalised until 2031-2032, a timeline that is inadequate for the rapid transition already underway.
This skills gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Emerging maritime economies have the potential to become regional hubs and leaders in these new green skills, diversifying the seafaring workforce and generating significant economic benefits through job creation.
That is why the Decarb Hub’s partnership with the IMO Maritime Just Transition Task Force (MJTTF) and its developing training framework is so important. We have a real platform to ensure decarbonisation is delivered in a way that is safe, fair and equitable while empowering local voices throughout the maritime value chain. But achieving this requires immediate and co-ordinated action across the industry.
A modular approach to training offers the most promising solution, combining standardised baseline courses with specialised modules for different fuel types and vessel operations. Simulation-based training will play a crucial role, allowing seafarers to navigate hazardous scenarios within controlled environments. Beyond technical competencies, training must foster a robust safety culture that prioritises continuous assessment and embeds best practices into daily operations.
The industry must also address the quantitative challenge of training at scale. Revisions to international standards, comprehensive simulation programmes, and thorough onboard familiarisation will all be essential components of this effort. But equally important is the qualitative dimension – ensuring training frameworks integrate process safety management, risk assessment protocols and emergency response procedures tailored to alternative fuels.
Technological advancements will further transform the seafarer’s role. Hydrogen fuel cells, wind-assisted propulsion, and real-time digital monitoring systems will require deeper understanding of energy efficiency and risk management. As shipping embraces automation and big data analytics, seafarers must develop new digital competencies alongside their traditional maritime skills.
Perhaps most crucially, the industry must listen actively to seafarers themselves. Their perspectives on the energy transition and the safety of handling alternative fuels will significantly influence adoption rates, with direct implications for profitability and revenue. Establishing effective forums for seafarers to share their expertise without fear of retribution, through anonymous reporting platforms such as HELMEPA’s VIRP platform and through the work done by CHIRP Maritime, will be vital to ensuring training programmes are fit for purpose.
Decarbonisation demands not just technological innovation but a fundamental reimagining of how we prepare our workforce as we steer shipping towards net zero. The maritime industry must invest in green skills and workforce readiness, hold itself accountable for performance against sustainability goals, and respond to new regulations in a way that inspires confidence among the seafaring workforce and the public at large.
By investing in comprehensive, modular training that addresses both technical and behavioural competencies, we can ensure the transition to alternative fuels occurs safely, and effectively.
Anastasia Kouvertari is the senior lead for human competency at Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub.
