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Draft interim guidelines aimed at providing international standard provisions for ships using fuel cell power installations have been agreed by Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (the Sub-Committee) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in its 7th meeting held from the 6th to the 13th of September, 2021 (CCC 7).

The draft interim guidelines cover issues including fire systems and gas/vapour detection. The guidelines are intended to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of electrical and/or thermal energy through the use of fuel cell technology.

The development of these interim guidelines for safety of ships using fuel cells is part of the important work being carried out by the Sub-Committee in the context of shipping’s need for new fuels and propulsion systems to meet decarbonisation ambitions set out in the Initial IMO GHG Strategy.