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 Maritime Regulations and Shipping News

With the adoption of the IMO Net-Zero Framework delayed and political consensus uncertain, regulatory fragmentation becomes a real risk. Regulatory pressure will and in fact is already reappearing elsewhere. The EU has already moved ahead with EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime. The UK is extending its own emissions trading scheme to shipping. African countries have or are implementing national carbon tax schemes.

Wind-assisted propulsion is usually discussed as a straightforward efficiency measure. The vessel consumes less fuel, emissions decrease, EU ETS exposure is reduced, and the FuelEU Maritime GHG intensity calculation benefits from the regulatory reward factor for wind assistance. From a technical and environmental perspective, the direction of travel appears clear. From a commercial FuelEU Maritime perspective, however, the calculation is more nuanced.

As shipping companies explore the use of biofuels to meet FuelEU Maritime requirements, the question is no longer whether to blend but how to blend. Today’s case study compares two alternative fuel strategies, both using Bio30 blends but based on different fossil components: MGO and HFO. The difference in cost is smaller than many might expect. Understanding Bio30-MGO vs. Bio30-HFO Both scenarios assume a vessel consuming a combination of fuels, namely 3,000 tonnes of MGO, 50

Navigating Compliance and Optimization in FuelEU with Biofuels With increasing FuelEU exposure and costs, vessels calling the EU must make every gram of CO₂e count. Today’s case study analyzes a practical voyage scenario involving sustainable biofuels on an EEA-in/outgoing roundtrip. We focus on optimizing FuelEU compliance through fuel allocation. Example 1: Bio30 on EEA-In/Outgoing Roundtrip – The Need for Fuel Stream Separation Consider a vessel that arrives at an EU port,

As shipping companies navigate the complex cost landscape shaped by FuelEU Maritime, understanding the trade-offs between compliance options becomes essential. This week, we revisit the biofuel vs pooling discussion of previous newsletters with a focused case study: a containership on a transatlantic voyage. Voyage Details: Route: New York to Hamburg Speed: 24 knots Duration: ~6 days Fuel Consumption (50%): 200 tonnes MDO + 450 tonnes VLSFO Regulatory Scope: 50% exposure to F

As the maritime industry tackles FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS, the business case for Onshore Power Supply (OPS)—also known as shore power or cold ironing—is becoming increasingly interesting for shipping companies. By allowing vessels to reduce their fuel consumption while at berth and draw power from the local electricity grid, OPS reduces at-berth emissions, and can help save FuelEU Maritime penalties and EU ETS costs. This week's newsletter dives into what OPS is, whether it

With the introduction of FuelEU Maritime following the famous EU ETS, shipping companies must make strategic decisions about meeting their compliance obligations at the lowest cost. Two of the most prominent pathways are: Using biofuels to reduce a vessel’s greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity. Purchasing surplus and pooling to offset compliance deficits at a lower cost. But when is one option better than the other? Using real biofuel market data, we provide a FuelEU surplus value

In our previous newsletters, we examined different business cases for compliance with FuelEU Maritime. We specifically focused on biofuel vs pooling and e-LNG. These case studies considered compliance costs under FuelEU Maritime alone. However, for shipping companies, compliance costs also include EU ETS (Emissions Trading System). Overview of EU ETS As a reminder, the EU ETS is a significant regulation that puts a price on each tonne of CO2 emitted within its scope. Beginnin

Throughout recent years, and especially last year, LNG has emerged as a widely used transition fuel, offering lower CO2 emissions compared to other fossil fuels. As described previously, under the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, LNG vessels are at an advantage over other fossil fuel ships due to their lower greenhouse gas intensity. Looking beyond fossil LNG, bio-LNG is already a common surplus generator under FuelEU, especially seen as the enabler of some of the super pools offe