THE AUSTRALIAN Maritime College has hosted a two-day workshop on the safe handling of ammonia, one of the key low-carbon alternatives to marine oil.
The workshop was designed to contribute to a future training program for this energy source.
Supported by the Australia-Singapore Low Emissions Technologies (ASLET) program and led by Associate Professor Hossein Enshaei, director of AMC’s Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics and the college’s senior instructor in fire-fighting and safety training Anthony Beckett, the workshop brought together more than 50 representatives from maritime regulators, port authorities, classification societies and vessel operators across Australia and Singapore.
The group learnt the fundamentals of ammonia, including its physical properties, hazards, risk controls, bunkering systems and modifications needed at ports to manage the substance.
The second day featured a demonstration of ammonia release at the AMC’s Fire Fighting and Emergency Response Training Centre in Bell Bay.
Protected by personal protective equipment and hazardous material controls, the group got a first-hand insight into ammonia’s behaviour under various scenarios, including saturated liquid release, aerosol dispersion, fan deflection and tarp-and-cover sheltering.
Feedback from the workshop will inform AMC’s new ammonia safety training program for maritime and port operations.
Associate Professor Enshaei said the workshop “demonstrated the strength of Australia-Singapore partnerships and the collective commitment to preparing industries for future fuel transitions”.
Mr Beckett said seeing ammonia in real conditions gave participants a better understanding of the risks.
“Seeing ammonia in real conditions makes the risks tangible,” he said.
“It shows how fast situations can change and why leadership and clear communication are essential.”
