Filipino Seafarers To Get Alternative-Fuel Training At New Green Energy Facility

The United Marine Training Center (UMTC) has started building a new Green Energy Center that will train Filipino seafarers to work on ships powered by alternative fuels as the maritime industry moves toward low- and zero-emission vessels.

The facility, unveiled during a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 17, will offer basic and advanced training accredited by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) under the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code).

The new center is being developed to address a growing need in the shipping industry. As more shipowners introduce vessels powered by new fuel technologies to meet decarbonisation goals, crews will need additional training and specialised qualifications to operate them safely.

UMTC President Antonio Galvez led the ceremony together with MARINA Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan, MARINA Acting Deputy Administrator for Education, Training and Certification Presca Lee B. Lugo, and STCW Office Executive Director Samuel L. Batalla.

Representatives from international organisations also attended the event, including Robert van der Hum, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Julian Lopez, managing director of Green Marine Asia.

“We are not simply constructing a building. We are building competence, safety, innovation and sustainability,” Galvez said.

He said the training programs would use practical exercises and realistic situations to help seafarers develop the confidence needed to respond to emergencies, protect lives, safeguard vessels and reduce environmental risks.

Unlike traditional simulator-based facilities, the Green Energy Center is being designed to closely resemble the conditions seafarers experience on board ships.

The facility will use equipment and systems supplied by companies that also work with the shipbuilding and maritime industries, allowing trainees to gain hands-on experience with technologies used on modern vessels.

Training will focus on practical and scenario-based learning. Seafarers will be introduced to vessel systems, onboard equipment, operating procedures and emergency response measures in a controlled environment.

Malaluan said the center would help Filipino seafarers remain competitive as the industry adapts to decarbonisation and automation.

“This initiative helps lay the foundation for the skills and capabilities the maritime industry will need in the years ahead,” she said.

She added that practical training using actual shipboard systems would help bridge the gap between classroom instruction and real-world operations.

Beyond training, the center will also serve as a platform for research, innovation and knowledge-sharing among government agencies, training institutions and technology providers.

The project is being developed through a partnership involving UMTC, Green Marine and MARINA.

Green Marine is contributing technical expertise in alternative-fuel vessel operations, while MARINA has been involved in reviewing the training program to ensure it meets the changing competency requirements of Filipino seafarers.

Funding support for the project has also come from the International Maritime Training Fund (IMTF), an initiative of the Associated Marine Officer’s and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) and The International Maritime Employers’ Council Ltd (IMEC), which supports non-statutory training programs for seafarers.

UMTC said it will continue working with shipowners, maritime organisations and other industry stakeholders as construction of the facility moves forward.

During the ceremony, participants signed a Founding Legacy Wall that will be installed in the completed building as a permanent record of the project’s launch and the organisations involved in its development.

Owner’s Representative Yevgenii Rokatenko said the facility would play an important long-term role in supporting future maritime professionals.

Reference: umtc