"Safety issues to be addressed for the use of ammonia and hydrogen as fuels in shipping" (EMSA reports)

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) published two final reports on the safety of ammonia and hydrogen as fuels in shipping on 14/01/2026. "These studies aim to assist national administrations, industry, and maritime stakeholders in the sustainable transition of shipping", explains EMSA.

The main conclusions of the ammonia final report are:

• Ammonia is technically feasible as a marine fuel, but safety is the primary limiting factor, because of its high toxicity.
• Existing ship designs and rules, including IMO rules, are insufficient for ammonia as fuel for shipping. Ammonia solutions must depend on the ship type.
• EMSA recommends accelerating work at the IMO level to move toward binding, ammonia-specific safety rules.
• Until harmonised rules are in place, ammonia projects should rely on robust case-by-case risk assessment.

The main conclusions of the hydrogen final report are:

• Hydrogen can enable zero-emission shipping, but its safety challenges are fundamentally different from LNG, because of its flammability range.
• Substantial leaks and ignition risks cannot be eliminated…