Shipping is on a critical pathway to net zero. New fuels and energy sources are moving from pilots to early commercial adoption - but safety, standards and operational readiness must keep pace. That is why we convened the Safety of Alternative Fuels Working Group (SAFWG): to bring together experts from across industry, government and academia to build a shared, evidence-led baseline of safety considerations for alternative marine fuels. Alternative Fuels: Building the Safety Evidence BaseIndustry-led risk assessments across fuel pathwaysAs the sector accelerates decarbonisation, we are proud to publish our latest report Alternative Fuels: Building the Safety Evidence Base highlighting the work from the SAFWG in its first year and a set of preliminary, high-level risk assessments across five fuel pathways: Battery Energy Storage Systems, Biofuels, Methanol, Hydrogen and Ammonia.These risk assessments have been developed through structured expert workshops and cross-sector validation. Each accompanying risk matrix is not a safety case; instead they are a forward-looking foundation to inform project-specific design reviews, operational planning and future regulation.Download the full Alternative Fuels: Building the Safety Evidence Base report Key Findings and Risk Profile Summaries In addition, this publication and the work of the SAFWG’s aim is to provide thought-leadership alongside practical guidance and themes for discussion - clarifying the ‘knowns’ and ‘unknowns’, highlighting recurring risk themes across fuels, and creating a platform for collective learning.In its first year, the SAFWG's work has focussed on stakeholder engagement and mapping, broadening participation across industry, government, academia and supporting organisations; however in year two will build on this foundation to prioritise regulatory and knowledge gaps, develop project-specific case studies, and support the development of coherent safety frameworks that enable safe scaling. Stephen Brown, Chair of the SAFWG, Technology Manager at Shell Shipping and Maritime:The SAFWG is an excellent, highly productive and rewarding initiative that has delivered excellent results that are valuable to a wide range of industry stakeholders. This wouldn’t have been possible without the UK Chamber of Shipping’s leadership, the excellent expert speakers and those that have given up their time to contribute. I have personally gained an enormous amount from the experience, reconnected with old friends and met new ones. Many thanks to everyone involved. The SAFWG is an excellent example of what is possible when industry stakeholders come together to achieve a common goal. James Helliwell, Vice chair of the SAFWG, Commercial Director for Decarbonisation at V. Group added: Significant work has been undertaken by players across the industry to pilot and test alternative fuels. This work is often hard to come by and not publicly available. The SAFWG has made great progress in year 1 in bringing together useful sources on alternative fuels to develop clear and concise risk registers on alternative fuels. This resource provides a strong foundation to those looking to design and build new vessel types. Annexes from Alternative Fuels: Building the Safety Evidence BaseAnnex A – Terms of Reference Annex B – Stakeholder Engagement Annex C – Resource Library Annex D – Risk Assessment Template Annex E – Preliminary Risk Assessments Annex F – Full Statements by Speakers and ParticipantsTo get involved with the Safety of Alternative Fuels Working Group, please contact Francesco Sandrelli.