The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) today announced the publication of guidelines for conducting qualitative risk assessments for alternative-fuelled ships: HAZID and HAZOP.
The use of alternative fuels will be key to addressing the ‘2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships.’ While IMO has developed guidelines for design and operation of ships capable of using them, the Alternative Design and Approval process is required for most alternative fuels until mandatory regulations are in place. And this dictates using qualitative risk assessment to document an equivalent level of safety compared with a vessel designed to operate with conventional fuels.
Existing guidelines, such as MSC.1/Circ.1455 and IACS Rec. 146, remain valuable references to the general process for handling alternative design, independent of technology. With the industry’s expanding adoption of alternative fuels and lessons learned from recent projects, MTF considered that there is a need to make supplement to these documents to cover a wider range of fuels and technologies.
The new MTF report provides guidelines for conducting qualitative risk assessments as a core component of the approval process for alternative-fuelled ships. This addresses both HAZID and HAZOP studies, detailing qualification requirements for involved personnel and outlining the procedural steps involved. The guidelines also specify required input documents, reporting requirements and risk criteria. The guidelines support the identification of potential hazardous events and the development of preventive and mitigative safeguards to manage risks associated with the use of alternative fuels.
The new guidelines were presented at the MTF Seminar on Safe Maritime Decarbonisation held during Europort on 6 November 2025. With the expected increase in alternative fuelled vessels, both newbuilds and retrofits, panel discussions with industry leaders focused on the relevance of the guidelines and their effective implementation to ensure consistent outcomes providing transparency and trust to the industry stakeholders.
John McDonald, ABS President and Chief Operating Officer, said: “As the industry scales up the use of new fuels, it's essential to establish consistent and rigorous approaches to HAZIDs and HAZOPs. A unified framework is critical for maintaining safety equivalence as the industry adopts alternative fuel technologies.”
Alf Tore Sørheim, acting Director General, Norwegian Maritime Authority, said,“Consistency across methodologies will also help Administrations take decisions with more confidence. These guidelines are an important contribution, supporting Administrations and industry stakeholders in demonstrating safety for novel fuel systems through an alternative design process, in a more consistent and predictable manner.”
