AMO Currents - STAR Center provides first-of-its-kind USCG approved course for use of LNG and other low flashpoint fuels

AMO Currents - Posted: June 3, 2015

STAR Center provides first-of-its-kind USCG approved course for use of LNG and other low flashpoint fuels

Members of American Maritime Officers will remain at the forefront of the maritime industry as ship owners convert existing vessels and build new vessels that will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel, thanks in part to the work of the directors and instructors at STAR Center, the primary training provider for AMO officers.

The U.S. Coast Guard has approved, and STAR Center subsequently provided, the first installment of a first-of-its-kind course that focuses on the safe use of LNG and other low flashpoint fuels aboard waterborne vessels.

The inaugural course offering of Combined Basic and Advanced Low Flashpoint Fuel Operations (IGF Code G-600) coincided with the christening and launch of the first LNG-powered containership in the world, Isla Bella, which was built by General Dynamics NASSCO for TOTE, Inc. Both the Isla Bella and a second Marlin Class ship will be manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers. Additionally, TOTE is converting its two Orca Class ships to use LNG as a fuel, and VT Halter Marine is building two Commitment Class LNG-powered combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships for Crowley. All of these ships are and will be manned in all licensed positions by AMO.

"I feel really good about the course and I'm very excited about it," said STAR Center Director of Training Phil Shullo. "AMO members who take the course will put themselves in a great position for the future because of all the LNG ships that are on the way."

As the industry shifts to low-emission fuels, more vessels are expected to use LNG as a fuel source. Fleets of Jones Act tankers now under construction and on order for AMO-contracted companies are being built ready for conversion to use LNG as a fuel. About 50 ships worldwide already use LNG as a fuel but estimates have at least another 100 vessels under construction, with even more likely to be retrofitted to use LNG.

Safety regulations on bunkering LNG ships have not yet been finalized by the U.S. Coast Guard, but because STAR Center officials were involved in discussions for guidelines at the international level, the training center was able to create a course that would meet and exceed the proposed STCW requirements, Shullo said.

As a result, the five-day STAR Center course was approved by the U.S. Coast Guard's National Maritime Center in April. Official rules are scheduled to be finalized in June. The first class taught at STAR Center began on May 4.

"We couldn't wait for finalized rules because we have ships already coming out of the shipyard. We saw this coming on the horizon and so we wrote the course to have our members prepared," Shullo said.

Before the launch of the Isla Bella, STAR Center instructors taught an abbreviated version of the course in San Diego to Coast Guard personnel, employees at NASSCO, local law enforcement, port officials and other public safety agencies.

Students in the course will learn hazard identification, hazard operations, safety procedures and proper communications while bunkering an LNG-fueled vessel, said Gregory Musk, one of the lead instructors for the new course.

"Communication is key between all parties involved. It's not just one particular group's responsibility anymore. Everyone needs to know what to do, " Musk said. "We are offering a one-stop shop with this course because it's all about safety."

STAR Center already provides a USCG approved LNG training program certified to the standards of the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators, which focuses on the transportation of LNG as a cargo.

The new course is the first in the nation to teach mariners how to safely handle all eight low flashpoint fuels, Musk said.

"Once again STAR Center is setting the bar and leading the way on training," he said. "There is a lot of mystery about LNG because it's kind of new and we want to uncover the veil for our members. The LNG highway is already here and it's coming to the maritime industry. We want to stay ahead of it."