Network outputs and sector resources.
Evidence in one place: research produced by ISMDN partners, and a curated library of authoritative reports, regulations and guidance from across the sector.
Research & Innovation Roadmap for Safer Decarbonisation
Mapping the priority research gaps, regional skill needs and the route to closing them. The roadmap is built from expert elicitation and the network’s regional workshops, and each workshop adds to it.
Network outputs
Reports, briefs and papers produced by ISMDN partners.
Green competition at sea: dynamic modeling of alternative fuel adoption and fleet competitiveness
Siti Marsila Mhd Ruslan, Benjamin C. McLellan
Ocean and Coastal Management (2026), 108260. Partner publication on alternative-fuel adoption and fleet competitiveness.
Open ↗Operationalizing maritime decarbonization policy through emissions monitoring: lessons from the Straits of Malacca
Mohd Tarmizi Osman, Kasypi Mokhtar, Norjipin Saidi
Case Studies on Transport Policy, 25 (2026), 101876. Partner publication on emissions monitoring and decarbonisation policy.
Open ↗UK Expert Workshop - full report
ISMDN Network
Full proceedings and prioritised research gaps from the inaugural UK expert workshop (London, April 2026).
Open ↗Sector resources
51 authoritative reports, regulations and guidance from across the sector. Links open the official source.
Alternative-fuel safety guidelines
Lloyd's Register Consolidated Rules and Regulations: Ships Using Gases or Low-Flashpoint Fuels (1 July 2026)
Lloyds Register updated its classification rules effective 1 July 2026 covering design, construction and operation of vessels using methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen as fuels. The rules include detailed appendices addressing requirements specific to each fuel type and reflect developments in alternative fuel safety standards and operational guidance.
Open source ↗Port Safety Guidelines for Alternative Fuels (Methanol, Ammonia, Hydrogen)
A new integrated guideline establishes safety measures for the use of methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen in ports, addressing infrastructure and operational risk management. The framework supports ports in managing alternative fuel bunkering and storage while maintaining environmental protection and crew safety during the maritime energy transition.
Open source ↗Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels (Edition 3.1)
ClassNK released revised guidelines in August 2026 incorporating IMO interim standards for hydrogen (MSC.1/Circ.1701), introducing Bayesian-derived hydrogen leak frequency estimates, and establishing structural strength requirements for methanol and ethanol fuel tanks previously absent from IMO guidelines.
Open source ↗IMO CCC 12: Revised guidelines for methanol as fuel
The IMO Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC 12) finalized revisions to interim guidelines for methyl/ethyl alcohol fuels on 14–18 September 2026, and added a harmonized performance standard for lashing software. Work progressed on guidelines for low-flashpoint oil fuels and onboard carbon capture and storage systems.
Open source ↗ISO 22120:2026 Standard for Bunkering of Methanol-Fuelled Vessels
ISO released the 22120:2026 standard establishing procedures and safety requirements for methanol bunkering operations. The standard responds to rapid growth in methanol-fueled vessels and corresponding bunkering infrastructure development worldwide.
Open source ↗ClassNK Guidelines Revision for Ships Using Methanol, Ethanol and Hydrogen as Marine Fuels
ClassNK updated safety requirements within its guidelines for vessels using methanol, ethanol and hydrogen as marine fuels. The revision reflects expanding operational experience with alternative fuel vessels and evolving understanding of hazard control requirements.
Open source ↗Guidelines for Methanol-Fueled Ships Safety Management Systems
The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) announced the publication of new guidelines to support companies in developing new Safety Management Systems (SMS) and strengthening existing SMS for ships using methanol as fuel. Its toxicity, low flashpoint and invisible vapor and flame characteristics introduce new safety challenges for the maritime industry that require enhanced procedural controls and risk management measures for safe operations.
Open source ↗July 2026 Edition of DNV Class Rules and Standards for Ship and Offshore
The July 2026 edition introduces new class notations and significant updates designed to support the maritime industry's ongoing transition towards greater sustainability and innovation. Key changes include gas-fuelled hydrogen rules amended to better fit the safety concept of the MSC Interim guideline, and new class notations for battery-ready and shore power-ready vessels.
Open source ↗New Safety Guidelines For Methanol-Fueled Ships
The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has published a comprehensive set of guidelines aimed at supporting shipowners and operators in developing new Safety Management Systems (SMS) and upgrading existing frameworks to safely manage methanol-fueled vessels. Driven by looming FuelEU Maritime mandates and the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) tightening greenhouse gas reduction targets, low-carbon methanol has rapidly emerged as a frontrunner in the multi-fuel transition.
Open source ↗EN 18071:2025 – Inland navigation vessels – Methanol bunkering
CEN/TC 15 'Inland Navigation Vessels' has developed EN 18071:2025 'Inland navigation vessels – Methanol bunkering', a new European Standard that sets out clear technical and operational requirements for refuelling vessels with methanol. EN 18071:2025 addresses these challenges by providing a harmonized set of rules that ensure bunkering operations are carried out with the highest levels of safety, reliability, and interoperability across Europe's inland waterways.
Open source ↗MSC.1/Circ.1621 — Interim guidelines for the safety of ships using methyl/ethyl alcohol as fuel
IMO interim safety guidelines for methanol and ethanol as a marine fuel, covering ship arrangement, fuel containment, bunkering and fire safety. Human-factor implication: the technical provisions have to be carried into seafarer competence through fuel-specific familiarisation, hazard awareness, safe handling and emergency response.
Open source ↗MSC.1/Circ.1647 — Interim guidelines for the safety of ships using fuel cell power installations
IMO interim safety guidelines for fuel cell power installations on board, addressing installation, control and monitoring, and risk assessment. Competence requirements follow from the technical provisions rather than existing alongside them.
Open source ↗MSC.1/Circ.1666 — Interim guidelines for the safety of ships using LPG fuels
IMO interim safety guidelines for liquefied petroleum gas as a marine fuel, covering fuel containment, gas supply, and hazardous area classification, with the familiarisation and emergency response that follow from them.
Open source ↗MSC.1/Circ.1679 — Interim guidelines for use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cargo as fuel
IMO interim safety guidelines for gas carriers burning their own LPG cargo as fuel, where the cargo system and the fuel system are the same installation and the crew competence has to span both.
Open source ↗MSC.1/Circ.1687 — Interim guidelines for the safety of ships using ammonia as fuel
IMO interim safety guidelines for ammonia as a marine fuel, approved at MSC 109 and issued 26 February 2025. Goal- and function-based, covering design, equipment, operations, bunkering, toxicity mitigation and crew protection. Toxicity makes the human-factor demands sharper here than for any other alternative fuel: personal protective equipment, exposure control and emergency response are competence questions, not equipment questions.
Open source ↗MSC.1/Circ.1701 — Interim guidelines for the safety of ships using hydrogen as fuel
IMO interim safety guidelines for hydrogen as a marine fuel, approved at MSC 111. Cryogenic storage, wide flammability range and detection difficulty put the emphasis on familiarisation and emergency response.
Open source ↗MSC.1/Circ.1702 — Interim guidelines for use of ammonia cargo as fuel
IMO interim safety guidelines for gas carriers using their own ammonia cargo as fuel, approved at MSC 111, extending the ammonia-as-fuel provisions to ships where cargo and fuel systems coincide.
Open source ↗STCW.7/Circ.25 — Generic interim guidelines on training for seafarers on ships using alternative fuels and new technologies
IMO generic interim training guidance for seafarers serving on ships using alternative fuels and new technologies, approved at MSC 110. This is the circular that turns the MSC safety provisions into competence: fuel-specific familiarisation, hazard awareness, safe handling and personal protective equipment, emergency response, and competence assessment. It is the base document for the fuel-specific training guidance that follows it.
Open source ↗Alternative-fuel safety studies
Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (oCCS) Framework — Safety Discussions Underway
MEPC 83 approved a work plan for an IMO onboard carbon capture and storage regulatory framework targeted for 2028. The Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) begins safety-focused technical discussions in September 2026, with interim non-mandatory guidelines projected for MSC 116 in 2029. This addresses decarbonisation pathways for vessels unable to switch to zero-emission fuels.
Open source ↗Alternative Fuels: Building the Safety Evidence Base
The UK Chamber of Shipping published a comprehensive safety report in early August 2026 examining five alternative fuel pathways—battery energy storage systems, biofuels, methanol, hydrogen, and ammonia. The report identifies cross-cutting themes including material compatibility, emergency response preparedness, crew training, and the need for clearer regulatory pathways.
Open source ↗Safety of ammonia as a fuel in shipping: new reports
EMSA published parts three, four, and five of its multi-year study on ammonia fuel safety in shipping. The work assesses ammonia's unique hazards including toxicity and corrosiveness, identifies critical equipment failure modes, and develops reliability models adapted from LPG experience.
Open source ↗New reports on the safety of ammonia and hydrogen as fuels in shipping
EMSA launched two final reports investigating the safety of hydrogen as a fuel in shipping and the safety of ammonia as a fuel in shipping. Both study series were developed to assist national administrations, industry, and maritime stakeholders in the sustainable transition of shipping. The ammonia report includes hazard analysis, reliability assessment, and operability studies of generic fuel supply systems and specific ship types.
Open source ↗Study investigating the safety of ammonia as fuel on ships (NH3SAFE)
A five-part study on ammonia properties, regulations, component reliability and risk assessment of ship designs.
Open source ↗Study investigating the safety of hydrogen as fuel on ships (HSAFE)
Mapping of safety risks, hazard identification and risk analysis for hydrogen fuel systems and specific ship types.
Open source ↗Safe Bunkering of Biofuels: guidance and risk assessment
Characteristics, regulatory landscape and a HAZID-based safety assessment for bunkering bio-methanol, FT-diesel, DME, HVO and FAME.
Open source ↗Analysis of the Hydrogen Incident and Accident Database (HIAD 2.0)
Statistics, lessons learned and recommendations from analysis of hundreds of recorded hydrogen incidents.
Open source ↗Fuel insight & readiness
Fuel for Thought: alternative fuel series
In-depth reports on LNG, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and biofuels, covering production, onboard use, safety, infrastructure and cost.
Open source ↗Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor
Tracks technology, investment and community readiness across the fuel supply chain, from natural resources to vessel propulsion.
Open source ↗Assessing barriers to e-methanol adoption for maritime decarbonization
Published September 2026, this study examines implementation barriers for e-methanol in container shipping. Findings show e-methanol can achieve over 90% GHG reduction when produced renewably, but faces deployment challenges in storage, safety, handling, and bunkering infrastructure requiring large-scale adaptations.
Open source ↗SGMF completes three-fuel lifecycle picture
SGMF completes lifecycle assessments covering LNG, ammonia, and methanol as alternative shipping fuels. Provides a comprehensive reference for comparing environmental impacts across fuel options.
Open source ↗ABS Sustainability: Ammonia as a Marine Fuel
Example proposal awaiting admin approval. Approve to publish it into the Resources library.
Open source ↗Industry outlook
Financing Constraints and Structural Drivers of Maritime Decarbonization
A peer-reviewed study in the October 2026 issue of Transportation Research Part D analyzes financial-system readiness and capital-intensive infrastructure requirements for maritime decarbonisation, examining policy sequencing and enabling conditions for alternative fuel adoption and technology deployment at scale.
Open source ↗Data-Driven Decarbonization in the Maritime Industry: An Integrative Analytical Review
A peer-reviewed integrative review establishes a four-pillar framework examining data-driven approaches to maritime decarbonisation: digital governance policies, emission datasets and monitoring technologies, emission modeling methodologies, and coordinated decarbonisation strategies. The work links regulatory, data, modeling, and implementation perspectives to accelerate emissions reductions across vessels, fuels, and ports.
Open source ↗DNV Maritime Forecast to 2050: Regulatory Scenarios and Energy Efficiency Pathways
DNV's 10th Maritime Forecast examines four regulatory scenarios ranging from IMO Net-Zero Framework adoption to rejection, assessing how stronger global signals could enable fleets to reduce energy consumption by up to 25% by 2050 compared to fragmented regional regulation.
Open source ↗IMO Research and Development (R&D) Forum: Marine pollution preparedness for alternative fuels
The IMO convenes global experts on preparedness and response to spills involving alternative marine fuels including LNG, LPG, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen and bio/e-fuels. The forum translates high-level policy into practical implementation tools and operates in partnership with Singapore and China to advance science-based response protocols.
Open source ↗EMSA Outlook 2026
EMSA's 2026 annual work programme prioritises decarbonisation as a core pillar alongside digital transformation and maritime security. The agency will enhance monitoring and reporting systems for FuelEU Maritime compliance, strengthen pollution detection for alternative fuels, and expand preparedness for spills involving new marine fuels. 2026 marks the first full compliance year under FuelEU Maritime and continued EU ETS integration.
Open source ↗Maritime Forecast to 2050
DNV's flagship outlook on shipping's decarbonisation pathways, fuel mix and the decisions facing owners this decade.
Open source ↗Getting to Zero Coalition
A coalition of 200+ organisations working to make zero-emission fuels and vessels scalable and affordable by 2030.
Open source ↗People, skills & just transition
EMSA Conducts Specialised Training on Seafarer Competencies for Alternative Fuel Vessels
EMSA held a face-to-face workshop from 14–18 September 2026 to develop uniform seafarer competency standards for ships using alternative fuels. Experts, maritime administrations, and educational institutions examined risk analysis, bunkering procedures, storage, emergency protocols, and alignment with IMO STCW Convention and ILO standards. The workshop included a visit to a battery-powered passenger ferry in Lisbon.
Open source ↗DNV Launches New Competence Recommended Practice for Use of Hydrogen as Ship Fuel
DNV released a new recommended practice (RP) for hydrogen as ship fuel that outlines the competence requirements for crew, inspectors, and technical personnel to support the proper handling of hydrogen systems on board ships. Hydrogen gains traction as a marine fuel, with seven vessels currently in operation and another 30 in the orderbook.
Open source ↗TRAINALTER – Study on the identification of specific competences for seafarers on ships using alternative fuels and energy systems
One of the main challenges that the technology transition entails is the additional training that seafarers on board ships using alternative fuels and systems need to undergo to ensure the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of these ships. The existing training and competence standards in the STCW Code do not specifically cover all aspects of the new fuels/fuel systems being adopted.
Open source ↗The Future of Seafarers 2030: A Decade of Transformation
A survey-based study on how decarbonisation and digitalisation reshape seafarer skills, training, attraction and retention.
Open source ↗Interim seafarer training frameworks for ammonia, methanol and hydrogen
Industry-first frameworks for training seafarers to work safely on vessels powered by ammonia, methanol and hydrogen.
Open source ↗International regulation & strategy
Frontiers in Marine Science: Regulatory Overlap in Shipping Decarbonization — EU Maritime ETS and IMO Net-Zero Framework
Peer-reviewed analysis examining regulatory overlap as EU ETS operates in parallel with the IMO Net-Zero Framework approved April 2025 but facing delayed adoption. The study addresses carbon leakage risks, competitive distortion and uneven burdens on developing states.
Open source ↗Sustainable Maritime Alternative Propulsion (SMAP): €15 billion EU support scheme for zero-emission fuels and technologies
The European Commission proposed on 17 July 2026 a major revision of the EU ETS and MRV regulations introducing SMAP, which will inject 110 million allowances (approximately €15 billion) between 2028 and 2040 to support adoption of zero-rated fuels and zero-emission propulsion technologies including wind-assisted and electric systems, with additional bonuses for green shipping corridors and EU-sourced equipment.
Open source ↗IGC Code Amendments Enabling Ammonia Cargo as Fuel
On July 1, 2026, amendments to Chapter 16 'Use of Cargo as Fuel' of the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) will enter into force. The amendments were adopted in December 2024 by resolution MSC.566(109). New and existing type 2G/2PG ships – gas carriers designed to carry toxic cargoes listed in Chapter 19 of the IGC Code, such as ammonia, butane, ethylene, etc. – may, with the permission of the Administration, use cargo as fuel, provided that the same level of safety is ensured as that required for natural gas (methane) under the IGC Code.
Open source ↗EU ETS Extension to Maritime Sector Enters Force
Though previously focused only on carbon dioxide emissions, the EU ETS began regulating methane and nitrous oxide emissions for maritime shipping in January 2026. When the regulation takes effect in July 2026, all commercial vessels of 5,000 GT and above, regardless of nationality, will be subject to the UK ETS.
Open source ↗Methanol Bunkering License Framework Opens in Singapore
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore opened applications for licences to supply methanol as a marine fuel, following finalisation of Singapore's methanol bunkering licensing framework and standards which incorporated input from over 50 proposals and methanol bunkering trials since 2023. Licensees must supply methanol as marine bunker fuel during the licensing period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030, with specified carbon intensity on a well-to-wake basis and transparent chain of custody methodology.
Open source ↗Economic Study on Carbon Leakage Risk Assessment Linked to FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS Extension
A study released in July 2026 assesses the risk of carbon leakage and loss of competitiveness linked to FuelEU Maritime and the extension of the EU ETS to maritime transport. The assessment informs policy effectiveness and mitigation measures for the EU's decarbonisation framework.
Open source ↗2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships
The revised IMO strategy, with net-zero ambition close to 2050 and indicative checkpoints for 2030 and 2040.
Open source ↗FuelEU Maritime, Regulation (EU) 2023/1805
GHG-intensity targets for energy used on board ships calling at EU/EEA ports, in force from January 2025.
Open source ↗These are third-party publications, linked to their official sources. ISMDN does not host or own them. Looking for open funding? See research & funding calls.