Korean Register (KR) has been appointed Coordinator of two expert groups under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), focusing on ammonia effluent management and response procedures for NOx reduction strategy failures.
This comes as regulatory pressure intensifies around alternative marine fuels and emissions compliance.
Ammonia-fuelled vessels are increasingly being explored as part of decarbonisation pathways due to their potential as zero-carbon fuel options.
However, the high toxicity of ammonia introduces operational and environmental challenges, particularly around the handling of ammonia effluent generated during vessel operations.
The absence of internationally agreed standards has left a regulatory gap across the sector.
To address this, Korean Register established a joint working group in June 2025 with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Testing & Research Institute, and five major Korean shipbuilders — HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean — to build early technical and regulatory frameworks.
This work fed into discussions at the 13th session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 13) in February 2026, where KR and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries presented technical input on ammonia-related risks and regulatory needs.
Following these discussions, the IMO agreed to bring forward formal consideration of ammonia effluent to 2027, ahead of the original timeline.
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A dedicated expert group on ammonia effluent management has now been formed, with KIM Joonghun, Senior Surveyor at Korean Register Convention & Legislation Service Team, appointed Coordinator. The group held its inaugural meeting on 7 May 2026, bringing together around 100 international experts from governments, industry, and research institutions.
The group will operate through to IMO PPR 14, developing foundational guidelines covering definition and scope of ammonia effluent, environmental impact assessment criteria, monitoring and record-keeping frameworks, and data sharing mechanisms.
In parallel, Korean Register is also coordinating a second expert group focused on NOx reduction strategy failures and response protocols. KIM Changkyu, Deputy Senior Surveyor at Korean Register Convention & Legislation Service Team, leads the technical discussions supporting implementation for shipowners and port authorities.
The outputs from both groups are expected to inform future IMO guideline development across pollution prevention frameworks.
KIM Kyungbok, Executive Vice President of Korean Register, said: “KR will continue to work closely with the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, industry partners, and research institutions to actively drive the establishment of safe and effective international standards.”
In November 2025, KR launched two digital platforms, PILOT and POWER, to help the shipping industry cut emissions and optimise operational efficiency.
For more information:
Korean Register (KR) – https://www.krs.co.kr/kor/
