LNG shipping has achieved one of the best safety records in the history of maritime transport. After 60 years of transporting LNG cargoes and more than 100,000 cargo transfers, the sector has not had suffered a single major at-sea failure in its cargo containment systems. This exceptional track record reflects the ships’ durable and resilient design, stringent operational procedures, strong regulatory oversight, and the continuous guidance provided to the industry by organizations such as SIGTTO (Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators).
However, the next phase of the energy transition in shipping creates a new challenge. The rapid growth in LNG carriers, LNG-fueled ships, dual-fuel propulsion systems, and increasingly automated gas management technologies is creating an ever-widening gap in operational competence across the entire maritime industry.
The fleet of LNG carriers has grown from some 130 ships in 2000 to more than 700 today and is estimated to grow to nearly 900 ships by 2030. At the same time, the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel is accelerating even more sharply. LNG-fueled vessels increased in number from around 120 ships in 2015 to more than 640 ships in 2024, while the figure is expected to surpass 1,400 ships within the current decade. This growth is largely driven by the decarbonization agenda pursued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and by the search for commercially-viable lower-emission fuels by the shipping industry.
Among alternative marine fuels, LNG has emerged as the dominant transitional choice, thanks to its relative technological maturity, a well-established supply chain, and expanding bunkering infrastructure. LNG can significantly reduce emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, while also lowering carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional marine fuels. Although methanol and ammonia continue to be developed as viable future fuel options, their large-scale commercial deployment remains significantly more limited than that of LNG
Despite this strong safety record, the LNG sector does not have the luxury of complacency; long periods without accidents can create a misleading sense of security. LNG operations still involve cryogenic temperatures of around -162 degrees Celsius, flammable vapors, high-pressure gas systems, emergency shutdown arrangements, and fully-integrated automation systems. The consequences of an operational failure remain extremely serious.
At the same time, LNG technology is itself evolving at a rapid pace. The propulsion systems of LNG carriers have transitioned from steam turbine engines to dual-fuel diesel-electric (DFDE) systems and now to high-efficiency, low-speed two-stroke dual-fuel engines, such as the ME-GI, WinGD X-DF, and ME-GA. These modern propulsion systems offer significant improvements in fuel consumption and emission reductions, but simultaneously require a much higher level of technical expertise from the crew.
But this expertise challenge is no longer limited to LNG carriers. Container ships, cruise ships, tankers, and bulk carriers fueled by LNG are increasingly integrating cryogenic fuel tanks, FGSS systems, dual-fuel engines, and automated gas safety systems into the operation of conventional vessels. LNG bunkering itself involves cryogenic fuel transfer procedures, vapor return systems, pressure management, communication protocols, emergency release arrangements, and the strict monitoring of safety zones. Even relatively minor procedural errors can lead to serious operational and safety issues.
The growing reliance on automation and integrated control systems creates another significant challenge with regard to the human element. Although automation improves operational reliability, if crews become overly dependent on alarms, automated operating sequences, and digital interfaces, it can simultaneously limit the extent operators’ in-depth understanding of the systems. In abnormal or emergency situations, seafarers must understand not only what actions to take, but also why the systems are behaving as they are.
This is exactly where the greatest challenge for the industry lies. The energy transition in shipping is not only a technological transformation; at its core, it is primarily a challenge centered on human competence and expertise.
According to industry estimates, hundreds of thousands of seafarers globally will need additional training in the decades ahead, in order to safely manage LNG and alternative fuel technologies onboard. Surveys across the maritime sector consistently show that seafarers themselves also recognize the ever-increasing need for further skills development in LNG operations, alternative fuels, and advanced automation systems.
Critical areas of expertise now include LNG bunkering, boil-off gas management, dual-fuel engine operation, fuel changeover procedures, the management of gas detection systems, emergency responses to cryogenic hazards, and the handling of abnormal operational situations. These operations require not only procedural compliance, but also systemic thinking, decision-making capability, and a robust understanding of the processes under actual operational conditions.
The challenge is further intensified by the rapid growth of the fleet, which compounds the shortage of seasoned LNG officers and engineers equipped to guide and train the new generation of seafarers. As new LNG and dual-fuel ships enter service at an ever-accelerating pace, maintaining an adequate depth of operational expertise at the fleet level will become increasingly difficult.
Managing these emerging risks requires a coordinated effort across the entire maritime ecosystem, including the regulatory authorities, shipowners, technical managers, classification societies, equipment manufacturers, and maritime training institutions. Although international frameworks such as the STCW Convention and the IGF Code have established minimum training requirements, the maritime industry is now increasingly called upon to treat the development of skills and competence not merely as a regulatory obligation, but as a critical tool for risk management.
In response to these evolving challenges, advanced maritime training institutions are now developing comprehensive LNG training ecosystems which combine cargo management simulators, LNG bunkering simulation, dual-fuel engine training, and competency programs based on the IGF Code within a single operational framework.
Institutions such as the Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies (SIMS) have invested in comprehensive simulation capabilities for LNG cargoes, bunkering, and dual-fuel engines, with a view to improving operational readiness through training based on scenarios and competency assessment. Such training environments help to bridge the gap between theoretical certification and practical operational competence aboard modern LNG and dual-fuel ships.
In the future, closer cooperation between the shipping industry and the maritime academic community will be of decisive importance in ensuring the competence of the sector’s human resources keeps pace with rapid technological development. The same approach will prove equally critical as the sector gradually transitions toward other alternative fuels in the future.
While ships are undoubtedly becoming increasingly complex, automated, and energy-efficient, the long-term safety and sustainability of the energy transition in shipping will ultimately depend on the industry’s ability to train seafarers who can understand, manage, and respond effectively to increasingly complex operational systems under real-world operating conditions.
Avishkar Thakur, Deputy Director, and Capt. Sunil Bhadsavle, Assistant Dean (Nautical), Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies, Mumbai.
