IBIA, Green Marine partner on methanol training

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and Green Marine, a methanol consultancy firm, have signed a cooperation agreement to develop a methanol bunkering training program, with support from the Methanol Institute.

The cooperation agreement aims to ensure for existing and future crew operating on bunker tankers and bunker surveyors are competent and ready for methanol bunkering on a larger scale. The plan is to commence the training in Singapore first and expanding globally in 2024.

IBIA and Green Marine have signed a cooperation agreement to deliver methanol bunkering training. (Image: Waterfront Shipping)

IBIA and Green Marine have worked together with the crew from the supplying tanker and the bunker surveyors involved in the methanol bunkering pilot in Singapore, identifying and plugging the training gaps and competency needs prior to the pilot.

“IBIA’s strategic focus on training is driven by the impending transformative changes in the maritime industry, especially concerning alternative fuel options for achieving environmental targets by 2030 and 2050,” said Timothy Cosulich, Chair of IBIA. “We are committed to equipping our members with essential knowledge and skills to navigate this evolving landscape successfully.

The partnership with Green Marine will allow IBIA to expand bunker-related courses, enriching educational opportunities. Through strategic training and partnerships, IBIA strives to steer the maritime community towards a greener and more sustainable future, fostering a cleaner, responsible, and resilient shipping industry, Cosulich said.

Green Marine’s methanol training curriculum was created based on practical knowledge gathered over a decade of experience working on methanol dual fuel vessels, said Morten Jacobsen, CEO of the company.

“Our methanol specialists are captains and chief engineers with first-hand knowledge of working with methanol as marine fuel and the safe handling of same,” Jacobsen said. “Their experience includes services from methanol system design integration consultancy to newbuilding construction supervision, technical management, and operations. Our methanol training curriculum is supplementing baseline regulatory training requirements with practical, experience-based learning.”

These are still early days for alternative fuels, making it a necessity to collaborate on fundamental elements for their safe and efficient integration with the maritime supply chain, bunkering and on-board handling, said Chris Chatterson, COO of the Methanol Institute.

“Such partnerships allow us as an industry to go further, faster, as we transition to a lower emissions environment,” Chatterson said.