On the 1st of January 2025, the FuelEU Maritime Regulation entered into force. It aims to promote the use of renewable, low-carbon fuels and clean energy technologies by setting strict limits on the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of energy used on ships and imposing passenger ships and container ships to use onshore power supply (OPS) or zero-emission technology in TEN-T maritime ports from 1 January 2030.
What is FuelEU Maritime Regulation?
The FuelEU Maritime Regulation is part of the European Union’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. Together with the EU ETS extension to maritime, it has two key approaches: promoting low-to-zero carbon fuels and improving energy efficiency through CO2 pricing.
While the EU ETS requires shipping companies to surrender emission allowances for each tonne of reported CO2 emitted, FuelEU Maritime sets targets on the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board ships. These targets will ensure a gradual reduction in the greenhouse gas intensity in the sector.
Managing FuelEU and meeting the GHG intensity targets can be a demanding process. SERTICA Vessel Reporting System (VRS) helps ensure compliance by providing notifications when specific thresholds or conditions are met.
How does the FuelEU Maritime Regulation affect the shipping industry?
Shipping companies operating within the EU must comply with FuelEU Maritime by adopting cleaner fuels, enhancing energy efficiency, and integrating alternative energy solutions to meet GHG intensity reduction targets. In addition, containerships and passenger ships will be required to use onshore power supply (OPS) or zero-emission technology while at berth in TEN-T maritime ports from 1 January 2030.
These requirements will be applicable also to ports in the European Economic Area (EEA) as soon as they will be included in the national laws of EEA Members (e.g. Norway).
What types of ships are subject to FuelEU?
FuelEU applies to all commercial ships over 5,000 gross tonnes that transport passengers or cargo and call at European ports (EEA ports at a later stage), regardless of their flag. A “port of call” means a port where ships stop to load or unload cargo or to embark or disembark passengers with the exclusion of stops for the sole purposes of:
- refueling
- obtaining supplies
- relieving the crew
- going into dry-dock or making repairs to the ship, its equipment or both
- stops in port because the ship is in need of assistance or in distress
- ship-to-ship transfers carried out outside ports
- stops for the sole purpose of taking shelter from adverse weather or rendered necessary by search and rescue activities
- stops of containerships in a neighboring container transshipment port.
Ships over 5,000 gross tonnes account for 55% of all ships and 90% of CO2 emissions from shipping in the EU, making their regulation crucial for the EU to achieve its goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
FuelEU Maritime GHG Intensity reduction targets
The FuelEU targets for reducing the GHG intensity of energy used on board ships are set in 5-year intervals, starting with reference value reduced by 2% for 2025-2029 and progressively reduced to 80% for 2050.
The reference value corresponds to the fleet average greenhouse gas intensity of the energy used on-board by ships in 2020 determined on the basis data monitored and reported in the framework of MRV Regulation and using the methodology and default values laid down in the FuelEU Maritime Regulation
Use decarbonization reports in SERTICA VRS to easily track fuel consumption and emissions – and identify areas where you can improve efficiency and reduce emissions. As the crew enters new data, the system automatically performs real-time quality checks to prevent input errors. The system raises warning or error messages if any anomalies are found.
Requirements for FuelEU compliance
FuelEU compliance is calculated based on the well-to-wake approach. This means that the GHG intensity of the fuels used onboard includes emissions of the entire fuel lifecycle, from production to use – which encourages shipping companies to consider the broader impact of their fuel choices.
Compliance steps for shipping companies include:
- A monitoring plan for each ship in the fleet had to be submitted by 31 August 2024.
- Recording data for each ship’s voyage, arrival, and departure at EU ports from 1 January 2025.
- A ship-specific FuelEU report must be submitted to an accredited verifier by 31 January annually, starting from 2026.
Compliance depends on accurate data collection and monitoring, as verification of the report is essential for meeting FuelEU requirements. SERTICA VRS streamlines the reporting process from data collection to verification. Enter the data, let the system generate the required report, and send it directly to verification.
Watch our recorded webinar on how to set up regulatory reports in SERTICA VRS→
FuelEU penalty calculation
Non-compliance with FuelEU results in financial penalties if the shipping company:
- Fails to meet the limits on the yearly average GHG intensity of the energy
- Fails to connect to OPS or use zero-emission technologies in TEN-T maritime ports (non-compliant port call), applicable only to passenger ships and containerships from 1 January 2030.
Calculation of penalties can be a valuable tool to identify any potential non-compliance, plan corrective actions, and avoid unnecessary penalties.
Read our guide to calculate FuelEU penalties→
This guide shows how to monitor FuelEU compliance and the formula for a precise calculation of penalties.
How to set up a FuelEU report
Creating a FuelEU report requires accurate tracking and recording of key data. Shipping companies must monitor fuel usage, emissions, and energy consumption to ensure compliance with the regulation. This includes:
- Port activity: departure, arrival, and berth duration.
- Electricity received: from on-shore power supply (OPS).
- OPS connection: usage or exemption, fuel consumption at berth and sea.
- Emissions reporting: factors covering the full fuel lifecycle, from production to onboard use (well-to-tank emission factors).
- Alternative energy use: consumption at sea and in port.
- Ice navigation, if applicable: ship’s ice class and voyages in icy waters.
Keeping track of the many data points required for FuelEU compliance onboard can be challenging. Digitalizing reporting with a solution like SERTICA VRS ensures compliance with current and future regulations while helping you avoid unnecessary penalties.
SERTICA VRS can trigger notifications when specific data points are recorded or when reports are due, ensuring accurate and timely compliance. Visualize reports in dashboards, apply filters to get an overview of specific data, identify potential issues early on, and take corrective action to avoid non-compliance.
Learn how to use filters in the SERTICA VRS Dashboards→
SERTICA VRS is fully compliant with FuelEU, and the report is in the system and ready for you to start entering data – making it simple to ensure compliance with FuelEU.
