Front Line Training For Energy Transition

The endeavour will be run by IMO and the Maritime Just Transition Task Force in a partnership also involving Lloyd’s Register (LR), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

IMO’s World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden will lend academic expertise to the project, which is expected to focus on methanol, ammonia and hydrogen fuels.

The intention is to develop a training framework and associated materials plus a train-the-trainer programme by mid-2025, signifying an 18-month timespan for the work. Upon completion, the package will be available to all IMO member states, for use by maritime education and training institutes.

The Baseline Training Framework for Seafarers in Decarbonisation will be first tested in Asia through a WMU-led programme, with support from the regional IMO Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre and other partners. The aim is to then expand testing of the package globally. Training materials will include a structure for seafarers and officers, to be drawn up by LR, as well as an instructor handbook for maritime training establishments.

The project was announced at the recent COP 28 UN Climate Change Conference meeting in Dubai and funding has been forthcoming from IMO and Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF).

Research commissioned by the Maritime Just Transition Task Force had indicated that as many as 800,000 seagoing personnel may require additional training by the mid-2030s in order to operate vessels run on zero or near-zero emission fuels.

IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim said “The milestone adoption by IMO of the 2023 Strategy on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shipping shows the member States’ clear commitment to transitioning the industry to a decarbonised future. To do this, we need to ensure no one is left behind and we need to commit to training the workforce so that they are ready. This collaborative project will help ensure a successful and equitable transition, harnessing the collective strength of the global shipping community.”

LR’s CEO Ruth Boumphrey stated “Future alternative fuel technologies, such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol, means there is a vital need to up-skill all seafarers. That’s why the work of the Maritime Just Transition Task Force and its latest training framework is essential to ensuring seafarers have the right training and skills to work in a safe environment. It puts seafarers and communities at the heart of the solution as the industry works towards achieving its target for net zero emissions shipping by 2050.”

Dating from 2021, the Task Force was formed during the COP26 event in Glasgow by the United Nations Global Compact together with IMO, the ICS, ITF, and International Labour Organization (ILO).