Ossi Mettälä is product manager at NAPA Shipping Solutions. Image Credit: NAPA

Shipowners need to rethink several common assumptions around FuelEU Maritime and biofuels, according to maritime software and data services firm NAPA.

The company has outlined seven common myths facing the industry, with FuelEU Maritime and biofuels among the areas where it believes operators need to rethink their approach, according to an article published on its website on Sunday.

Ossi Mettälä, product manager, shipping solutions at NAPA, said there is no longer plenty of time to develop a FuelEU strategy, with the regulation already in its implementation phase and compliance requirements set to tighten over time.

Operators that achieve over-compliance can also create commercial value through banking and pooling mechanisms.

FuelEU Maritime Is a Commercial and Operational Strategy Question

Banking allows surplus compliance to be carried forward, while pooling allows vessels to combine compliance balances to offset individual deficits or surpluses.

He also challenged the belief that biofuels are always too expensive.

While their spot prices are generally higher than conventional fossil fuels, Mettälä said operators need to consider the wider cost of compliance.

For vessels operating within or into the EU, EU ETS costs and FuelEU Maritime penalties can change the economics of biofuels and make them commercially viable in some cases.

“Essentially, in a changing regulatory environment, looking only at headline fuel cost can lead to the wrong conclusion,” Mettälä said.

The remaining five myths cover routing, wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) and older vessels.

Mettälä said that weather-based routing is no longer too complex or time-consuming for crews.

Modern systems combine weather forecasts, vessel performance models and operational restrictions to optimise voyages within minutes.

The company also rejected the idea that weather routing is unnecessary on fixed or short-sea routes.

Changing weather and sea conditions can affect safety, arrival times and fuel consumption even on repeat voyages.

Wind Propulsion Moves Beyond Experimental Stage

Mettälä said WAPS have moved beyond the experimental stage, with fuel savings already being recorded depending on the technology, vessel and operating conditions. 

He addd said owners should assess the expected payback of WAPS for each vessel before installation and independently verify savings before deploying the technology across a wider fleet.

NAPA also challenged the view that older ships do not need investment in performance monitoring. Older tonnage remains subject to requirements including the IMO Carbon Intensity Indicator and FuelEU Maritime.

Performance monitoring can identify where efficiency is being lost and help owners improve existing vessels without relying solely on costly retrofits, alternative fuels or early replacement.

Mettälä said the industry should focus on practical technology, reliable data and vessel-specific analysis when making decarbonisation decisions rather than relying on assumptions about fuel prices or the capabilities of existing technologies.

Mettälä told Ship & Bunker in an interview last year that NAPA is seeing evolving demand from the shipping industry for emissions management solutions as regulators including the EU tighten their regulations.