EMEA News
EU Council Adopts FuelEU Maritime Directive
The European Union's new rule to curb shipping emissions in its territorial waters, the FuelEU maritime directive, has been adopted by the European Council.
Under the regulation, ships will reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of their bunker fuels starting at 2% in 2025 (when the directive comes into force) and increasing incrementally.
The greater the reduction, the more potential demand there is for renewable fuels.
Fossil fuels are excluded from the certification process while fines issued for non-compliance will go towards supporting maritime decarbonisation projects.
The directive makes provision for the take up of renewable fuels of non biological origin that have a high decarbonistion potential via a special incentive regime.
Ships in pools will have an average greenhouse gas intensity limit with their compliance balance shared with other ships in the pool, according to the directive.
Shore power, or cold ironing, where ships switch to electric power when berthed also forms part of the new rules. From 2030, passenger and box ships will need to plug into shore power in European ports.
