17-11-2022

FuelEU Maritime

3 minutes read

FuelEU Maritime is an initiative to accelerate the uptake of renewable fuels and emissions-free energy in shipping. It sets out to create a framework for the production and use of carbon-neutral fuels, with a view to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping.

What is FuelEU Maritime?

FuelEU Maritime (FEUM) aims to enable scalable zero-emissions energy solutions for shipping through the development of new technologies such as fuel production, fuel storage and low-emission propulsion systems. With the introduction of FEUM, international shipping would be able to significantly reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and decrease its carbon footprint by using cleaner energy sources. This would also help reduce air pollution caused by ships’ engines and provide economic benefits for maritime industries. In addition, it will contribute towards mitigating climate change as well as creating new jobs in fuel production, technology and research related fields.

A constructive approach

In addition to Fuel EU Maritime (FEUM) is a global maritime forum which acts as a platform to discuss the maritime energy transition and create a zero-carbon, net-zero CO2 emissions future. It brings together leading companies from various countries with the aim of accelerating global efforts in decarbonizing shipping, in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and their goal of achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. FEUM will support initiatives for developing new technologies, fuels and other solutions towards energy transition that will reduce harmful CO2 emissions from ships.

GHG emissions tracking

FEUM will provide emissions factors for different types of respective fuels, fuel consumption and gas emissions per unit of energy use. Preliminary data show that the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping are expected to double by 2050. FuelEU Maritime is a unique initiative which can enable effective tracking of global GHG emissions from fuel use in ships, thereby mitigating the effects of global warming. However, this will require multiple sets of regulations to work in tandem as emission factors set by FEUM only apply to fossil fuels. The intensity of emissions from bio-based fuels like biofuels will be assessed using the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).