The International Maritime Organization’s Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers has finalised revisions to interim safety guidelines for ships using methyl or ethyl alcohol as fuel. Hellenic Shipping News, carrying a DNV report, said the changes were completed at the sub-committee’s 12th session, held from 14 to 18 September 2026. Decisions on rules, regulations and implementation dates remain subject to further consideration and approval by the Maritime Safety Committee.
The revisions cover every section of the existing alcohol-fuel guidelines and reflect operational experience accumulated so far. They allow greater flexibility in the positioning of fuel tanks and arrangements for managing leaks, while introducing a different approach to ventilating fuel spaces. Guidance on bunkering station design and fire extinguishing has been broadened, with additional provisions addressing bunkering procedures and personal protective equipment.
For oil fuels with flashpoints between 52°C and 60°C, the sub-committee continued developing interim guidance but decided against detailed provisions for a temperature-controlled engine room approach. Instead, work will concentrate on a safety framework closer to existing IGF Code guidance, with substantially simplified safety barriers. A correspondence group will take the work forward, targeting completion at CCC 13 in 2027. Revisions concerning fuel-cell installations and other proposed IGF Code changes will also return to that session.
The meeting also opened discussions on safety guidelines for ships equipped with onboard carbon capture and storage. According to the report, the planned structure combines common ship-level requirements in a technology-neutral main text with separate annexes addressing technology-specific risks. Correspondence-group work will be reported to CCC 13, with completion expected in 2028.
Separately, the sub-committee completed changes to Cargo Securing Manual guidance, adding a harmonised performance standard for lashing software. Although primarily intended for new vessels, the revised framework includes voluntary application to existing ships, provided the flag administration approves. The meeting also prepared a proposal for further work on assessing the effectiveness of container securing arrangements, which will go to the Maritime Safety Committee for a decision.