The International Association of Classification Societies has called for minimum safety requirements for alternative fuels to be agreed before vessels are ordered at scale, according to an interview published by Safety4Sea on 9 September.
IACS Council chair Alex Gregg-Smith said ammonia toxicity, methanol flammability and the storage and bunkering requirements of hydrogen each demand specific technical standards, crew training and emergency-response provisions.
“The most urgent task is agreeing those uniform minimum requirements before vessels are ordered at scale,” he said. IACS has revised Unified Requirement UR M78 covering safety requirements for ammonia-fuelled engines and published UR H2, which establishes a safety framework for ammonia release mitigation systems.
Gregg-Smith said bunkering infrastructure and shoreside interfaces require the same level of technical scrutiny as ships. IACS is also working with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore under a Letter of Intent covering technical standards and requirements for the safe implementation of new solutions. He said rapid adoption of new fuels, digital tools and automation risked moving ahead of regulation without common standards.
Differing approaches by the IMO, EU and individual flag states also add complexity for shipowners. Digitalisation is changing classification itself, with drones and other remote inspection tools reducing the need for surveyors to be physically present for some tasks.
IACS has developed cyber-resilience requirements UR E26 and UR E27 for ships, onboard systems and equipment, while its guidance on remote inspection techniques dates back to 2016.
Gregg-Smith took over as IACS Council chair in July. The association’s 12 member societies cover more than 90% of global cargo-carrying tonnage. In 2025, IACS authored 37 independent submissions to the IMO and co-sponsored another 20 papers.
Founded in 1968, IACS develops technical requirements applied by its member classification societies and provides technical input to international maritime regulation.