March 2, 2022. The Argentine Naval Prefecture has enacted measures to allow the use of natural gas, in liquefied (LNG) or gaseous (CNG) state and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), both in vessels that carry out international and national navigation, in line with the global trend on the use of efficient alternative fuels with a low polluting profile.
The measures are consistent with the entry into force of the international safety code for ships that use gases or other fuels with a low flash point (IGF Code), adopted by the Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) through resolution MSC.391 (95). This instrument of mandatory compliance through the international agreement for the safety of human life at sea (SOLAS), establishes prescriptive provisions for the use of natural gas in international navigation ships and also for other energies with a low flash point.
The new regulations cover not only the approval and control of on-board installations that use natural gas in diesel cycle engines, but also the use of LPG in vessels authorized to use explosion internal combustion engines and safety aspects related to the ship-port interface, taking into account the regulations established by other national organizations regarding distribution and supply through authorized stations on land. Likewise, it provides for compliance with international provisions regarding the specialized training of embarked personnel responsible for the operation of gas-powered merchant ships.
