The first ever Train-the-Trainer programme on alternative fuels for sustainable shipping, which received technical input from the Lloyd’s Register Decarbonisation Hub, has been held in Shanghai between 14-18 April 2025 .
A total of 35 delegates attended the five-day course, mostly designated by Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Maritime Just Transition Taskforce (MJTTF) project partners, and Maritime Education and Training Centres (METs).
Hosted by Maritime Technology Cooperation Center (MTCC) in Asia and Shanghai Maritime University, the programme which was developed by the World Maritime University (WMU) in collaboration with the IMO, marked a major milestone for the Maritime Just Transition Task Force (MJTTF) project on "Baseline Training for Seafarers in Decarbonization".
The programme aims to equip maritime professionals with the tools to deliver safe, effective training on alternative fuels including ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen, putting seafarers at the center of the energy transition.
This achievement underpins the strength of partnership across regulators, academia, and industry, including the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), as they work with a purpose to formulate goal-based training standards for maritime workforce.
It also recognises the contributions made by the Lloyd’s Register Decarbonisation Hub, acting as Technical Lead in defining the competencies that were later embedded in the training frameworks drafted for ammonia, methanol and hydrogen and for the support by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.
Natassa Kouvertari, Senior Lead, Human Competency with the Decarb Hub said: “We celebrate this ever first roll out of the Train-the-Trainer programme for alternative fuels together with the MJTTF project partners and industry experts as we navigate towards the smooth conclusion of a greatly impactful project that is directly linked to the upskilling and reskilling of the global seafaring community.’’
The Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (commonly known as the Decarb Hub) is an independent, non-profit initiative established through a partnership between Lloyd’s Register Foundation — a global charity with a mission to engineer a safer world — and Lloyd’s Register Group, a global provider of maritime professional services with over 260 years of heritage.
Picture credit: IMO