International Maritime Organization (IMO) - Experts & Thought Leaders

KR (Korean Register) is pleased to announce that Lee Jungkun, General Manager of KR’s Convention & Legislation Service Team, has been elected as the next Chair of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Safety Panel, with a three-year term running from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028.  The appointment was confirmed at the 91st IACS Council Meeting held in Beijing, China.  IACS’s seven technical panels The Safety Panel is one of IACS’s 7 technical panels and plays a crucial role in developing and revising The Safety Panel is one of IACS’s seven technical panels and plays a crucial role in developing, revising, and interpreting key international maritime safety regulations. Working closely with major regulatory bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU), the panel addresses critical safety issues under IMO conventions.  Prior roles of Lee Lee graduated from Korea Maritime & Ocean University and joined KR in 2000. He has represented KR on the Safety Panel since 2016, contributing to the panel’s work for nearly a decade. Recognised as an expert in maritime safety, he possesses extensive knowledge and practical experience with major safety instruments, including the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), and has actively participated in technical discussions at both IACS and IMO.  His election as Chair, with strong support from the twelve IACS member societies, underscores the high regard for his expertise and leadership within the international maritime community.

Armacell, a pioneer in flexible foam for the equipment insulation market and a pioneering provider of engineered foams, announces that the halogen-free insulation NH/ArmaFlex Smart C is now approved for use at sea. With this International Maritime Organisation (IMO) certification, Armacell adds another trusted solution to its portfolio for safety-critical marine environments. IMO’s stringent fire safety standards Reduced smoke density improves visibility and helps passengers and crew locate escape and rescue routes This certificate confirms compliance with IMO’s stringent fire safety standards and represents an important step in the product’s expanding application scope. Pre-covered insulation sheets achieve Euroclass C-s2,d0 (EN 13501-1), offering 50 percent less smoke emission compared to conventional flexible elastomeric foams. In the event of a fire, reduced smoke density significantly improves visibility and helps passengers and crew locate escape and rescue routes more easily – an increasingly vital safety criterion in maritime construction and retrofit projects. NH/ArmaFlex Smart portfolio In marine applications, the entire NH/ArmaFlex Smart portfolio is certified when installed with a foil covering. Depending on the project requirements, professionals can opt for NH/ArmaFlex Smart C with a factory-applied foil for fast and cost-efficient one-step installation, or apply a separate foil layer to standard NH/ArmaFlex Smart sheets to meet IMO requirements. The insulation material is halogen-free, releasing no corrosive gases, which could otherwise react with firefighting water to form aggressive acids and cause costly consequential damage.  Shipboard conditions and other demanding environments Armacell’s NH/ArmaFlex Smart C is available in standard and self-adhesive variants With mechanical protection provided by its robust fibreglass-reinforced foil surface, the insulation is also resistant to oils, chemicals, and mechanical impact making it well suited for shipboard conditions and other demanding environments. Armacell’s NH/ArmaFlex Smart C is available in standard and self-adhesive variants. Its black, absorptive surface allows for reduced insulation thicknesses without compromising performance. Thanks to its low thermal conductivity and excellent resistance to water vapour diffusion, the material ensures long-lasting insulation performance by enhancing energy efficiency, providing reliable condensation control, and reducing the risk of corrosion under insulation (CUI). Halogen-free insulation materials “This certification underlines our commitment to developing high-performance, halogen-free insulation materials that combine safety, efficiency, and ease-of-installation,” says Sascha Kaiser, Product Manager EMEA, Armacell. With NH/ArmaFlex Smart C, Armacell once again sets a benchmark for halogen-free insulation, now also at sea.

KR (Korean Register) has officially launched a joint working group to establish international standards for the safe discharge of toxic ammonia effluent generated from ammonia-fueled ships. The initiative brings together Korean major shipbuilders—HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), HD Hyundai Samho, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), and Hanwha Ocean—as well as the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), a national certification body.  Zero-carbon alternative fuel Ammonia is gaining global attention as a promising zero-carbon alternative fuel Ammonia is gaining global attention as a promising zero-carbon alternative fuel. However, due to its high toxicity and potential risks to the marine environment, specific international safety standards for its use are urgently needed. In particular, there are currently no established guidelines for managing the ammonia effluent generated from wet treatment systems on ammonia-fueled vessels, creating significant technical and operational uncertainty in ship design and operation.  Ammonia effluent from ships The joint working group aims to develop international standards for the storage, treatment, and discharge of ammonia effluent from ships and formally propose them to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) through the Korean government.  This initiative follows a 2024 proposal to the IMO by KR, in cooperation with the Korean government, which first raised the need to develop guidelines for the management of ammonia effluent from ammonia-fueled ships. Draft guidelines to the IMO in 2026 The joint working group plans to submit draft guidelines to the IMO in 2026 The proposal was officially approved at the 83rd session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83) in April 2025. The joint working group plans to submit draft guidelines to the IMO in 2026 and spearhead international discussions on the matter.  Kim Taesung, Director General at KTR, stated, “We will provide highly reliable scientific data to support the development of standards for ammonia effluent management, and actively cooperate to enhance the global competitiveness of Korea’s shipbuilding and shipping industries.”  International standards for ammonia-fueled vessels Park Sangmin, Senior Vice President of HD KSOE Green Energy Research Lab, remarked, “The working group will serve as a catalyst to advance international standards for ammonia-fueled vessels. HD Hyundai will leverage its experience in building the world’s first ammonia-fueled ship to continue leading the global market.”  Lee Hoki, Director of Samsung Heavy Industries, commented, “This initiative will lay the foundation for the full-scale commercialisation of ammonia fuel. SHI will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to reinforce Korea’s status as a pioneering shipbuilding nation.”  Development of international safety standards Choi Younghwan, Team Pioneer of Hanwha Ocean, said, “Establishing ammonia effluent standards in a timely manner will bolster Korea’s leadership in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors. Hanwha Ocean is committed to proactive technology development and regulatory preparedness.”  Kim Kyungbok, Executive Vice President of KR, concluded, “This joint working group is a pivotal milestone of the maritime and shipbuilding industries joining forces to lead the development of international safety standards based on advanced technological capabilities. KR will continue to support the development and international standardisation of safety regulations for alternative fuels in close cooperation with the Korean government.”

Liquid natural gas (LNG) can avoid concerns about global warming in the maritime industry – to a point. LNG is a carbon-based fuel but yields lower emissions than current fuels used in the maritime industry, thus enabling compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) goals to address greenhouse gas emissions. LNG offers an attractive transition route until even more environmentally friendly approaches become practical, although costs to transition existing vessels to LNG are cost-prohibitive. LNG is gaining more favour among dual-fuel new building contracts, using either LNG or conventional liquid marine fuels. Pre-liquefaction process When natural gas is cooled to minus 162 degrees C (minus 259 degrees F), it turns it into a liquid. Liquefaction reduces the volume to 1/600 of that of gas. Emissions from LNG are drastically lower than those of traditional heavy fuel oil. LNG removes sulphur in the pre-liquefaction process, so it emits almost no sulphur oxides (SOx) or particulate matter (PM) when burned, and it emits 90% less nitrogen oxide (NOx), and about a fourth less carbon dioxide (CO2). Emissions from LNG are drastically lower than those of traditional heavy fuel oil LNG is also relatively safe because its specific gravity is lighter than air, it is easy to diffuse, and there is less risk of explosion. One concern for transitioning to LNG is bunkering, in effect, the need for more supply infrastructure at port facilities to serve LNG-powered ships. Currently, the bunkering infrastructure can deliver LNG to 96 ports, with an additional 55 ports in the process of transitioning. There has also been an increase in ship-to-ship bunkering. Reducing CO2 emissions Although transitioning older ships to LNG is expensive, so are the alternatives, such as scrubbers and very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). Because VLSFO does not affect CO2 emissions, the fuel is inadequate to achieve the IMO goal of reducing CO2 emissions by more than 40% in 2030 compared to 2008. The Poseidon Principles are a framework for integrating climate consideration into lending decisions to promote decarbonisation. The framework is prompting some lenders to favour financing of LNG-powered vessels over those using traditional fuel oil. Transitioning to LNG can help fill the gap until new decarbonisation technologies come online and become more practical, including hydrogen, ammonia, rotor sail/batteries and methanol. Deep-sea shipping LNG is the only alternative to traditional marine fuel oils that is commercially variable for deep-sea shipping Since the first LNG-fuelled vessel came into service in 2000, the number of vessels using LNG has grown 20% to 40% per year. In 2020, there were 175 LNG-fuelled ships in operation, and another 200 on order. These numbers are in addition to the 600 or so LNG carriers, which use boil-off gas in their propulsion systems. By investing in LNG-fuelled vessels now, ship owners can realise immediate greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits – up to 28% on a tank-to-wake basis, including the impact of methane emissions, says SEA-LNG, a multi-sector industry coalition seeking to accelerate the adoption of liquefied natural gas. LNG is the only alternative to traditional marine fuel oils that is commercially variable for deep-sea shipping, says SEA-LNG. Worldwide gas consumption LNG is a widely available global commodity with 21 countries exporting to 42 importers and accounting for approximately 11% of worldwide gas consumption. Currently, LNG is a tight market, as strong power and gas demand in Asia has pulled LNG away from Europe. Combining to tighten the market is a 2021 post-COVID economic recovery and a cold winter in 2021. LNG buyers seeking to avoid shortages in the winter of 2022 triggered a price rally. Drought in South America has further limited hydroelectric output and pulled volume from the Atlantic’s LNG supply. Also, several LNG facilities experienced outages that decreased supply.