Regulation at a Glance
The FuelEU Maritime framework began January 2025 and steadily raises greenhouse gas reduction requirements for vessels of at least 5000 gross tonnage calling at European ports. A two percent carbon intensity cut is required for 2025 and the mandate climbs to eighty percent by 2050. Early compliance is already achievable for gas powered vessels because liquefied natural gas delivers roughly twenty percent lower life cycle emissions than traditional marine fuels.
What Makes Pooling Powerful
Pooling allows several ships that share a verifier to combine their annual performance. Surplus compliance from one vessel can balance a shortfall on another as long as the combined outcome remains positive. This removes worry for owners operating mixed fleets and lets every participant optimise fuel choice and voyage planning rather than scrapping or converting assets prematurely. A neutral service provider can manage the accounting, distribute certificates and submit documentation, turning a complex administrative job into a simple subscription.
Bio LNG as the Secret Ingredient
By substituting a portion of conventional LNG with bio LNG produced from upgraded biogas, compliance generators push their calculated emission factor well below the regulatory line. Gasum has demonstrated that a single ferry burning pure bio LNG can create enough surplus to cover several conventionally fuelled sister vessels. One non obvious insight is that the pool manager can schedule bio LNG bunkering on only the most predictable routes, sharply reducing supply chain complexity while still sharing benefit fleet wide.
Looking Beyond 2030
Demand for sustainable drop in fuels will intensify across aviation road transport and shipping. Companies that secure long term bio LNG contracts today gain priority access when supply tightens, preserving their ability to operate legacy tonnage until new zero emission designs are commercially proven.
Conclusion
Pooling backed by bio LNG offers immediate compliance cost certainty and lays groundwork for deeper decarbonisation strategies over the coming decades.