IMO approves new safety guidelines for ammonia-fueled ships

IMO approves new safety guidelines for ammonia-fueled ships

Offshore Energy — 2026-05-26

Maritime and Ports

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved the new safety guidelines for the use of ammonia as fuel on gas carriers, providing a practical framework to manage the associated safety risks, particularly its toxicity and handling requirements.

The guidelines were developed through collaboration between Lloyd’s Register (LR), the Belgian Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport (FPS Mobility) and gas shipping operator EXMAR and were approved at IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 111).

The guidance sets out how ammonia can be handled safely on board and supports early projects as they move towards execution by drawing directly on operational experience and regulatory input.

According to LR, the approval is expected to reduce uncertainty for shipowners and designers assessing ammonia as a future fuel, particularly as the first vessels designed to operate on ammonia approach entry into service.

The Directorate-General Shipping of the FPS Mobility took the lead in the IMO to draft the guidelines. This is said to guarantee that the regulatory framework reflects real-world practice, enabling innovation while maintaining effective safeguards within a controlled environment.

“The approval of these guidelines provides a clear signal that ammonia is moving from concept to a fuel with an emerging international safety framework,” said Liam Blackmore, Global Head of Technology Adoption and Integration at Lloyd’s Register.

“It demonstrates how close collaboration between industry, flag administrations and technical organisations can accelerate the safe adoption of new fuels at scale. Being part of this collaboration reinforces our role as a trusted advisor helping to turn ambition into practical, scalable solutions for the maritime energy transition.”