Singapore offers alternative marine fuel training hub

Singapore plans to offer maritime energy training for seafarers to handle vessels with sustainable marine fuels as the industry advances towards its decarbonisation goals.

"With hundreds of crew change conducted daily here, Singapore's Maritime Energy Training Facility (METF) is well placed to support the training of international seafarers. Shipowners and operators can expect time and training cost savings by tapping METF's training facilities," the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.

A gap in workforce knowledge remains a barrier in the maritime sector's transition to future fuels. This is despite an expected increase in supplies and consumption of alternative marine fuels, accelerated by the International Maritime Organisation's target of net zero greenhouses gas emissions by 2050. The maritime sector has recognised the need for workforce upskilling and value chain integration.

Safety in handling, bunkering and managing alternative fuels like methanol and ammonia is one of the highlights of the METF training, with workers to be trained in a new dual-fuel engine simulator. The METF curriculum also covers methanol firefighting for shipboard and terminal fires conducted by the Singapore Maritime Academy, along with safety protocols used during the first ship-to-container ship bunkering of bio-methanol on 27 July last year.

"Around 10,000 seafarers and other maritime personnel are expected to be trained at METF from now to the 2030s, as the facilities are progressively developed by 2026," the MPA announced, adding that the new curriculum will roll out gradually from this year.

By Cassia Teo