FuelEU Maritime Regulation: Requirements, Recommendations and Benefits of AI

The maritime industry accounts for roughly 3% of the world’s total human-activity related GHG emissions. As global governing bodies aim to reduce GHG emissions across all industries, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a clear strategy for reducing maritime emissions by 2050, with a significant benchmark of a 40% reduction to be obtained by 2030.

In October 2023, The European Union began implementing an ambitious package named “Fit for 55“, which, as its name suggests, commits to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% or more as early as 2030. Fit for 55 has many components; one of them, titled FuelEU, is a regulation pertaining directly to the maritime industry.

FuelEU Maritime actively promotes the use of clean technologies such as low-carbon fuels by ships with a gross tonnage of over 5,000, regardless of ownership or origin, who conduct voyages between EU ports or to or from an EU port. According to FuelEU Maritime, ships will be required to reduce their carbon intensity by 2% in 2025, 6% in 2030, 14.5% by 2035 and eventually 80% by 2050. 

How should fleet owners respond?

FuelEU Maritime regulations are already taking effect in 2025, giving fleet owners the freedom and flexibility to select their preferred GH emission reducing technologies. From carbon-reducing fuels to technologies that convert natural resources into clean energy, fleets can create their own hybrid mix of tools to lower their ecological footprint. That said, FuelEU does specify several must-do requirements for fleets:

Monitoring: Prior to 2025, by the deadline of August 31st 2024, Fleets were required to create a FuelEU monitoring plan, which specifies their strategies for reducing GHG emissions, and submit it to a company listed by the EU as an official verifier.

Reporting: Fleets are mandated to submit annual reports to an official EU verifier, which detail their GHG emissions data for the year prior – with the first year being 2025. The reports are to be “ship specific”, addressing factors such as emissions data, alternative energy consumption, all ports of arrival and departure, and more. The deadline for reporting submittal is January 31st of every year.    

On-shore technology: Starting in 2030, it will be mandatory for all carriers to plug into OPS (Onshore Power Supply) technology when docking in certain EU ports. This way, ships do not use their engines for power while docking, instead getting their power from a clean port source.

Non-compliance with FuelEU Maritime directives can lead to penalties. According to the EU, penalties can be administered to fleets with ships who have failed to comply with port docking rules, or whose reporting shows that their GHG emissions are higher than they should be.

Entering the FuelEUverse: recommended actions for fleet companies

FuelEU Maritime regulation compliance requires detailed preparation and careful implementation. Here are several valuable recommendations for 2025 and beyond:

Exploring fuel efficiency: There is a range of renewable and low-carbon fuels in the market, which may be compatible with specific vessel needs. Possible alternative marine fuels include biofuels, liquified gas (natural and petroleum) and hydrogen. Conducting research regarding the best options for fleet vessels in terms of clean energy may lead to important insights.

An investment in clean energy: There are countless systems that are specifically designed to help shipping vessels save and convert energy. These include Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems, Onboard Carbon Capture Systems (OCCS), Waste Heat Recovery Systems, Air Lubrication Systems, and more. Some are relatively simple to retrofit, while others are more complicated to integrate onto existing vessels. An in-depth assessment can help fleet companies figure out which systems fit their vessels from sustainable, operational and financial perspectives.

Rich data collection: Reducing GHG emissions isn’t enough – they must be tracked, recorded and analyzed. Not only is this an EU reporting requirement, but rich data collection assists fleet companies in understanding every vessel’s capabilities, while creating a solid foundation for continued improvement. A common method is the incorporation of a continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS), which is an aggregation of technologies (sensors, probes, dedicated software, data storage, etc.) that complement each other and are able to determine and track the ship’s gas emission type, rate and source with high accuracy.  

Verifier collaboration: Verification companies are a valuable part of FuelEU maritime regulation compliance, as they possess the skills, knowledge and expertise to analyze the monitoring plans and reports delivered by fleet companies. While the full list of official verifiers can be found in the EU database, fleet companies can choose to work with leading companies that specialize in maritime compliance and verification, energy efficiency measurement, emissions, reporting and environmental optimization – such as DNV, Lloyd’s Register, and Normec Verifavia.

Maritime crew training: At sea, technology carries much of the burden, but human decisions still make the difference. By offering awareness programs and training vessel crews to prioritize emission reduction practices, fleet companies are ensuring the effective execution of their FuelEU strategies, while also creating a culture that promotes environmental responsibility.

AI and FuelEU Maritime: Intelligent maritime emission reduction

AI systems are gradually becoming the new operational optimization standard in the maritime industry, as they are able to impact a wide variety of parameters associated with efficiency. While many associate maritime AI with operational optimization and enhanced safety, artificial intelligence can also play a crucial role in helping fleets comply with FuelEU Maritime regulation and improve their sustainability at sea:

Maneuvering optimization and situational awareness

AI-driven solutions utilize vast data collection and analysis to create precise predictions that help vessels make smart adjustments during different phases throughout their voyage. Abrupt maneuvering and acceleration, which are often caused by a spur-of-the-moment awareness of a danger that must be thwarted, exert more energy from the ship’s engine and may burn more fuel. By minimizing last-minute maneuvering due to computer vision-based hazard detection and machine learning that recognizes hazard patterns, AI solutions such as Orca AI’s SeaPod lower ships’ energy use and increase fuel efficiency. 

Speed optimization

Speed greatly affects fuel consumption, and container ships that travel at a slower pace burn less fuel. That said, figuring out slow steaming strategies at sea can be difficult, as crews must take many parameters into consideration, from scheduling and traffic congestion to dynamic weather conditions. Yet predictive AI can assist vessels in determining their optimal speed at any given moment, in terms of energy exertion and fuel consumption – while taking every other data-based consideration into account.

 Voyage Planning and Route Optimization

The modern approach to maritime voyage planning and route optimization is not only schedule and safety oriented, but also prioritizes lower fuel consumption and improved energy efficiency. By analyzing vast data and predicting weather and traffic patterns before and during the voyage, AI systems help crews choose routes that can facilitate low fuel consumption and energy use.

 AI fuels FuelEU Maritime compliance – and more

Due to machine learning capabilities and predictive algorithms that get better with every swath of analyzed data, maritime artificial intelligence is improving vessel performance in numerous ways. Naturally, one of the key benefits of AI is its ability to align vessels with specific objectives, be it less hazardous incidents, shorter voyages, improved operational efficiency – and fuel and energy consumption that align with FuelEU directives. Shipping companies looking to create a robust and diverse technology portfolio that can improve the sustainability of their fleets, should keep one thing in mind: AI integrates seamlessly with any chosen strategy, making every high-performing sustainable-oriented technology even better.