The Motorship attended the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization today to hear how seafarers were being prepared for working with ammonia, as marine engine giants MAN ES and WinGD continue to test their ammonia engines.

“As an ex-Seafarer, we’ve got a lot of convincing to do and we either do it safely or won’t do it at all,” states Matt Dunlop, group director of sustainability and decarbonisation at V.Group and strategic partner to the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, speaking at the International Maritime Organization’s headquarters in London.

The transition to ammonia as a marine fuel presents significant challenges, particularly regarding crew training and safety and Dunlop highlighted the importance of addressing the human element in this shift. He has been working to qualify ammonia as a safe and viable fuel, focusing on training and competence development.