As the maritime industry navigates its course toward lower emissions, a range of alternative fuels is reshaping how ships are powered. But the shift to new fuels is more than a technical change — it is a human one. Ensuring that seafarers are properly trained to handle, operate, and manage alternatively powered vessels is key to securing a smooth transition to the fuels of the future. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement prepares its crew to power tomorrow’s ships through comprehensive training programmes.
Published on 02 Dec 2025
As the maritime industry accelerates its transition toward cleaner energy solutions, one thing has become clear: the path to decarbonisation depends as much on people as it does on technology. While shipowners and engine manufacturers innovate rapidly to accommodate alternative fuels, it is the seafarers at sea who will make these advances safe, reliable, and effective.
“Decarbonisation is more than a technological transition—it’s a people transformation,” said Capt. Gurpreet Singh, Group General Manager, Training and Development at Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM). “New fuels bring new ways of working. As ship manager, our role is to ensure all our seafarers feel equipped, confident, and safe when handling them. Change can be complex, but with the right training, it becomes opportunity.”
Every alternative fuel brings its own operational and safety considerations. To ensure crews are fully prepared, BSM is constantly enhancing its comprehensive training programmes, addressing the practical realities of handling such fuels.
For example, BSM’s bespoke ‘Methanol as Fuel Courses’, including a specialised firefighting module, are now offered across its global network of Maritime Training Centres (MTCs). Developed in collaboration with key industry partners, the courses address the current absence of formal STCW standards for methanol and similar fuels. They align with emerging IMO guidelines and anticipate future updates to the STCW Convention and IGF Code, ensuring that seafarers are well ahead of the regulatory curve.
One highlight of the training initiative is the ‘Methanol Firefighting Course’, which prepares seafarers to handle the unique risks associated with methanol: its nearly invisible flame and lack of smoke when ignited. The course provides hands-on experience in identifying and managing such situations using infrared detection, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical powder, CO₂ systems, and water fog.
To further strengthen learning outcomes, BSM has launched its first Methanol Bunkering Simulator at the Maritime Training Centre in Kochi, India. The simulator replicates a methanol fuel system in detail—from bunkering stations and nitrogen systems to automation, alarms, and emergency shutdown procedures—allowing trainees to manage real-life scenarios in a safe, risk-free environment.
The simulator in Kochi is just the beginning. By the end of 2025, two additional simulators will be commissioned in Poland and the Philippines, expanding access to this state-of-the-art training. In the second quarter of 2026, an ammonia bunkering module will be introduced in Kochi, completing BSM’s comprehensive portfolio for LNG, methanol, and ammonia.
“The goal across all courses is to build seafarers’ confidence and ensure quick, correct action when it matters most,” Capt. Singh explained. “Our courses are designed to turn unfamiliar fuels into familiar territory. By combining hands-on firefighting practice with simulator-based operations, we give seafarers the muscle memory and confidence to act decisively. When they step aboard a methanol-fuelled vessel, they already know what to expect.”
Behind every successful training programme are knowledgeable instructors. BSM sent trainers to participate in sea trials and bunkering operations aboard methanol-fuelled vessels, ensuring they gain important first-hand experience. Further, the ship manager invests in developing its own faculty through the Train-the-Trainer Programme on Alternative Fuels for Sustainable Shipping, organised by the IMO and the World Maritime University (WMU) in Shanghai. This ensures BSM’s instructors remain aligned with international best practices and fully equipped to deliver consistent, high-quality instruction in methanol and ammonia operations under the IGF Code.
The adoption of alternative propulsion technologies in shipping continues to accelerate and is increasingly reflected in the fleet managed by BSM. The company’s investment in alternative-fuel training mirrors this evolution. By combining simulator-based instruction, targeted firefighting training, and a strong “train-the-trainer” framework, BSM is ensuring its seafarers are not just keeping pace with change but leading it.
Courses for ships with Ammonia as fuel will start in November 2025.
BSM’s training framework is aligned with STCW.7 circular “Generic interim guidelines on training for seafarers on ships using alternative fuels and new technologies” and applicable to officers and ratings.
For more information, please visit the BSM Maritime Training Centre website.
Capt. Gurpreet Singh
Group General Manager for Training and Development at BSM
ContactCapt. Gurpreet Singh
Group General Manager for Training and Development at BSM
Please contact our Group General Manager for Training and Development at BSM.
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