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REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-13072026-274433
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (i)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 524]
NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2026/ASHADHA 16, 1948
MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 6th July, 2026
G.S.R. 582(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (2) of section 130 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 (24 of 2025), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely:
1. Short title and commencement. -(1) These rules may be called the Merchant Shipping (Use of Liquefied Gases or Other Low-Flashpoint Fuels) Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Application. – (1) Unless otherwise specified, these rules shall apply to the vessels for which the building contract is placed on or after the 1st January, 2017 or the keel is laid or is at a similar stage of construction on or after the 1st July, 2017 in the absence of a building contract or the delivery date is on or after the 1st January 2021.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this rule “delivery date”, means the date referred to in the applicable rules made under the Act dealing with cargo vessel construction or passenger ship construction, as the case may be.
5098 GI/2026
(1)
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(2) The vessels which commence a conversion on or after the 1st January, 2017 to use low-flashpoint fuels or use additional or different low-flashpoint fuels other than those for which the vessel was originally certified, shall also be required to comply with the IGF Code in accordance with the regulation 56 of Chapter II-1 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS):
Provided that these rules shall not apply to any such vessel or sailing vessel the keel of which was laid before the 1st July, 2017 and the provisions of the International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Liquified Gases in Bulk Code (IGC Code) shall apply to such vessel or sailing vessel:
Provided further that the Director-General after the commencement of these rules, may require, the owner of any such vessel or sailing vessel, having regard to any structural changes made in such vessel or sailing vessel, to comply with any or all of the requirements specified in these rules, by way of order in writing.
3. Requirements of the IGF Code. – (1) Every vessel to which these rules apply shall comply with the provisions of the IGF Code:
Provided that subsequent amendments adopted to the IGF Code shall apply to vessels whose keels are laid or which are at a similar stage of construction on or after the effective date of such respective amendments, unless expressly provided otherwise.
(2) Upon completion of construction of vessels referred to in sub-rule (1), a surveyor appointed under section 8 of the Act or recognised organisation, shall issue a passenger ship safety certificate for passenger vessels and cargo ship safety construction certificate or cargo ship safety certificate, as the case may be, for cargo ships, indicating that the vessel complies with Part G of chapter II-1 of the convention.
4. Definitions. – (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, –
(a) "Act" means the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 (24 of 2025);
(b) “bunkering” means the transfer of liquid or gaseous fuel from land based or floating facilities into a vessels' permanent tanks or connection of portable tanks to the fuel supply system;
(c) “convention” means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS), as amended;
(d) "fuel containment system" is the arrangement for the storage of fuel including tank connections and includes where fitted, a primary and secondary barrier, associated insulation any intervening spaces, adjacent structure if necessary for the support of these elements, and also if the secondary barrier is part of the hull structure it may be a boundary of the fuel storage hold space;
(e) “gas” means a fluid having a vapor pressure exceeding 0.28 MPa absolute at a temperature of 37.8°C;
(f) “hazardous area” means an area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is or may be expected to be present, in quantities such as to require special precautions for the construction,
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installation and use of equipment;
(g) “high pressure” means a maximum working pressure greater than 1.0 MPa;
(h) "IGF Code” means International Code of Safety for Ships using gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code), as adopted by the International Maritime Organisation and made mandatory under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, as amended from time to time;
(i) “LEL” means the lower explosive limit;
(j) "LNG" means liquefied natural gas;
(k) "Loading limit (LL)” means the maximum allowable liquid volume relative to the tank volume to which the tank may be loaded;
(l)"Low-flashpoint fuel” means gaseous or liquid fuel having a flashpoint lower than otherwise permitted under paragraph 2.1.1 of regulation 4 of Chapter II-1 of the convention;
(m) "Person in-charge” means the Person in-charge of the bunkering operation at the Bunkering source or on the ship;
(n) “recognised organisation” means a Classification Society or other body recognised by the Central Government for the purpose of performing statutory surveys, audits, inspections, approvals and certification functions on behalf of the Central Government;
(o) "risk" is an expression for the combination of the likelihood and the severity of the consequences;
(p) "unacceptable loss of power” means that it is not possible to sustain or restore normal operation of the propulsion machinery in the event of one of the essential auxiliaries becoming inoperative, in accordance with the regulation 26.3 of the Chapter II-1 of the convention;
(q) “zone” means the area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation called Zone 1 and area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is not likely to occur in normal operation and, if it does occur, is likely to do so only infrequently and shall exist for a short period only called Zone 2.
(2) The words and expressions used in these rules but not defined herein shall have the same meanings as respectively assigned to them in the Act, the IGF Code, and the applicable international conventions, as amended from time to time.
5. Design. – (1) Vessels to which these rules apply shall be designed in accordance with the applicable requirements of the IGF Code.
(2) Without prejudice to sub-rule (1), for all vessels constructed on or after the 1st January, 2026, airlocks shall be provided with self-closing gastight doors, spaced not less than 1.5 metres and not more than 2.5 metres apart, and shall be ventilated at a rate of not less than twelve air changes per hour, with over-pressure maintained relative to adjacent hazardous areas (air lock is a space enclosed by gas-tight bulkheads with gas-tight doors, bulkheads shall be spaced at least 1.5 m and not more than 2.5 m).
(3) Subject to the requirements of the International Convention on Load Lines, the sill height of the
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door leading to the hazardous area shall not be less than 300 millimetres, as provided under regulation 5.12.1 of the IGF Code, as amended by MSC.551(108) and the doors shall be self-closing without any holding back arrangements.
(4) Ventilation ductwork passing through non-hazardous spaces shall conform to paragraph 9.8 of IGF Code and shall be constructed using approved non-combustible material with integral gas detection and alarm systems.
(5) Deck structures situated above fuel tanks on open deck shall be provided with thermal insulation so that the temperature rise on the opposite boundary does not exceed 180 °C within 30 minutes of fire exposure, in accordance with amended paragraph 6.7.3.1.1 of the IGF Code.
(6) In accordance with paragraph 6.7.1.1 of the IGF Code, a factor of F = 0.5 shall apply for tanks located above deck, and certification through type testing of the product shall be required to verify the insulation properties under fire conditions, wherein the calculation factor F shall be determined based on the fireproofing material, the thermal conductance of the insulation, and its stability under fire exposure.
(7) The design shall be approved by a surveyor appointed under section 8 of the Act or recognised organisation.
6. Construction. – (1) Vessels to which these rules apply shall be constructed in accordance with the applicable requirements of the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code).
(2) Construction shall be approved and supervised by a surveyor appointed under section 8 of the Act or recognised organisation.
(3) Upon completion of construction, the surveyor or recognised organisation, shall issue applicable safety construction certificate, indicating that the vessel complies with part G of chapter II-1 of the convention.
(4) Vent mast outlets for liquefied gas fuel tanks shall maintain a minimum hazardous zone radius of 6 m (Zone 1) and 4 m (Zone 2) from any air intake, open flame or sparking equipment. Pressure relief vent discharges may be led to other fuel tanks when permitted by the Director-General and fitted with non-return valves and flame screens and the requirements concerning the height of vent mast exits is specified under paragraph 6.7.2.7.3 of the IGF Code, which specify the applicable details.
(5) Any proposal for lowering the height of the vent mast shall be accompanied by a detailed technical justification, with specific reference to Hazardous Area Classification in accordance with the paragraph 12.5 of the IGF Code, and IEC 60092-502, Part 4.4 for approval of the Director-General.
7. Alternative design. - (1) Functional requirements for all appliances and arrangements related to the use of low-flashpoint fuels shall be in accordance with requirements set out in the IGF Code.
(2) Fuels, appliances and arrangements of low-flashpoint fuel systems may either-
(a) deviate from those set out in the IGF Code; or
(b) be designed for use of a fuel not specifically addressed in the IGF Code:
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Provided that such fuels, appliances and arrangements can be used if they meet the intent of the goal and functional requirements concerned and provide an equivalent level of safety of the relevant chapters of the IGF Code.
(3) The equivalence of the alternative design shall be demonstrated as specified in the regulation 55 of Chapter II-1 of the convention and approved by surveyors or recognised organisations:
Provided that no operational method or procedure shall be permitted by the Director-General as an alternative to any fitting, material, appliance, apparatus, item of equipment or type thereof that is specified by the IGF Code.
8. Operating requirements. – (1) Each vessel to which these rules apply, shall carry on board a copy of the IGF Code or an its electronic version.
(2) Maintenance procedures and information for all gas related installations shall be available on board and shall include all areas and systems that may be subject to gas leaks and their associated hazards.
(3) Each vessel shall be provided with a suitably detailed fuel handling manual, to ensure that trained personnel can safely operate the fuel bunkering, storage, and transfer systems and the contents of this fuel handling manual are provided in sub-rule (4) of rule 9.
(4) Each vessel shall be provided with suitable emergency procedures, covering all aspects of the fuel handling systems.
(5) In addition, emergency procedures shall be in place to provide for the emergency shutdown of any equipment that has the potential to become hazardous under certain abnormal conditions.
(6) The failure of any single component of the fuel supply system shall not result in a complete loss of propulsion power.
(7) Systems shall be designed to allow partial reduction of power under safe conditions, in accordance with amended paragraph 9.3.1 of the IGF Code and for acceptance of any partial reduction in propulsion capability from normal operation, reference shall be made to the regulation 26.3, Chapter II-1 of the convention.
(8) Each liquefied gas fuel tank shall be provided with two independent level gauging devices and a high-level alarm system and at least one device shall be continuous reading type approved for cryogenic service, as specified in regulation 15.4.1 part A-1 of the IGF code, as per MSC.551 (108).
(9) Where only one liquid level gauge is fitted it shall be arranged so that it can be maintained in an operational condition without the need to empty or gas-free the tank.
(10) Liquefied gas fuel tank liquid level gauges shall include -
(a) indirect devices, which determine the amount of fuel by means such as weighing or in-line flow metering; or
(b) closed devices, which do not penetrate the liquefied gas fuel tank, such as devices using radio-isotopes or ultrasonic devices.
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(4) The procedures and information shall include maintenance of electrical equipment that is installed in explosion hazardous spaces andthe inspection and maintenance of electrical installations in explosion hazardous spaces shall be performed in accordance with recognised standards as provided in the IGF Code.
(5) An inspection or survey plan covering the fuel containment system shall be submitted and approved by the surveyor or a recognised organisation.
(6) The plan shall identify critical regions, inspection methods, service intervals and renewal tests, in line with paragraph 6.4.1.8 of the IGF Code.
11. Enclosed space entry. – (1) Under normal operational circumstances, personnel shall not enter fuel tanks, fuel storage hold spaces, void spaces, tank connection spaces, or other enclosed spaces where gas or flammable vapors may accumulate but personnel may enter these enclosed spaces only
(2) Personnel entering any space designated as a hazardous area shall not introduce any potential source of ignition into the space unless it has been certified gas-free and maintained in that condition.
12. Risk assessment. – (1) A Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) shall be conducted for each new fuel installation covering design, operation and maintenance risk.
(2) The assessment shall use recognised techniques such as hazard and operability study (HAZOP), fault tree analysis (FTA), or probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) (ISO 31010 / MSC.1/Circ.1627) and all risks with Residual Risk greater than or equal to “Moderate" must be mitigated by engineering controls.
(3) The approved risk analysis shall be attached to the vessel construction file and retained for the life of the vessel.
13. Drills and emergency exercises. – (1) Bunkering drills and emergency exercises for ships using liquefied gases or other low-flashpoint fuels shall be conducted at monthly intervals and included in the vessels drill planner.
(2) Gas-related emergency exercises shall include at least one joint table top drill per annum with port-authority participation covering bunkering incident scenarios, fuel leakage response, and integration of Ship-Shore Link communication (SSL) and reports of such drills shall be retained for audit.
14. Training. - (1) Companies shall ensure that seafarers on board the vessel using gases or other low- flashpoint fuels shall be qualified and certificated in accordance with the new training requirements as detailed in relevant circulars issued by the Director-General from time to time, subject to the IGF Code, having successfully completed approved training and provided evidence of meeting seagoing service and experience requirements and the training requirements for service on board liquefied gas tankers and completed training as mentioned in the relevant training circulars issued by the Director-General to attain the abilities that are appropriate according to the duties and responsibilities to be taken up, taking into account the provisions given in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) convention and Code, as amended, and hold an appropriate certificate.
(2) Personnel on vessels classified for use of hydrogen, ammonia or methanol as fuel shall complete training modules approved by the Director-General for each specific fuel category in accordance with the regulation 3 of Chapter V of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Model Courses for Advanced Training on Alternative Fuel Operations.
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(3) All training and certification requirements shall be specified by the Director-General in accordance with relevant International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Model Courses and other relevant circulars.
Annexure
[See rule 9 (3)]
LNG-BUNKER DELIVERY NOTE*
LNG AS FUEL FOR
VESSEL NAME: | IMO NO.:
Date of delivery: | Port
1. LNG-Properties
Methane number ** | -
Lower calorific (heating) value | MJ/kg
Higher calorific (heating) value | MJ/kg
Wobbe Indices Ws / Wi | MJ/m*
Density | kg/m°
Pressure | MPa (abs)
LNG temperature delivered | °C
LNG temperature in storage tank(s) | °C
Pressure in storage tank(s) | MPa (abs)
2. LNG-Composition
Methane, CH4 | % (kg/kg)
Ethane, C2H8 | % (kg/kg)
Propane, C Hs | % (kg/kg)
Isobutane, i C4H10 | % (kg/kg)
N-Butane, n C4H10 | % (kg/kg)
Pentane, C5H12 | % (kg/kg)
Hexane; C8H14 | % (kg/kg)
Heptane; C7H18 | % (kg/kg)
Nitrogen, N2 | % (kg/kg)
Sulphur, S | % (kg/kg)
negligible <5ppm hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen, ammonia, chlorine, fluorine, water
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3. Net Total delivered: | t, | MJ
Net Liquid delivery: | GJ | m³
4. Signature(s):
Supplier Company Name, contact details:
Signature: | Place/Port
date: | Receiver:
* The LNG properties and composition allow the operator to act in accordance with the known properties of the gas and any operational limitations linked to that.
** Preferably above 70 and referring to the used methane number calculation method in DIN EN 16726. This does not necessarily reflect the methane number that goes into the engine.
[F.No. SY-19014/199/2025-MG-Part (2)]
MUKESH MANGAL, Addl. Secy.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064 and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054. SARVESH KUMAR SARVESH SRIVASTAVA Date: 2026.07.13 22:32:49+0530
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