FuelEU Maritime explained: targets, scope, penalties

What FuelEU Maritime is and when it applies

FuelEU Maritime, Regulation (EU) 2023/1805, limits the greenhouse gas intensity of the energy ships use on board. It was adopted on 13 September 2023 and has applied in full since 1 January 2025, with the monitoring plan provisions applying from 31 August 2024.

The regulation is goal based and technology neutral. It does not tell owners which fuel to burn. It sets a falling ceiling on the yearly average greenhouse gas intensity of the energy a ship uses, measured in gCO2e/MJ, and lets each company choose how to meet it.

Intensity is measured on a well to wake basis. That covers emissions from producing and delivering a fuel as well as burning it, and counts carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. FuelEU Maritime works alongside the EU Emissions Trading System, which prices emissions, while FuelEU sets the standard for the energy itself.

Which ships and which energy are in scope

FuelEU Maritime applies to ships above 5,000 GT that carry passengers or cargo for commercial purposes and call at EU or EEA ports, whatever their flag. The responsible party is the shipping company under the ISM Code, which may be the owner or the organisation that has taken on responsibility for operating the ship.

The energy counted follows the same geographic rules as the EU Emissions Trading System:

100% of energy used on voyages between two EU or EEA ports.
100% of energy used at berth in EU or EEA ports.
50% of energy used on voyages between an EU or EEA port and a port outside it.

To stop container lines avoiding the rules with a short stop outside the EU, calls at neighbouring container transhipment ports listed by the Commission do not count as port calls. Member States may also request time limited exemptions, ending no later than 31 December 2029, for passenger routes to small islands with fewer than 200,000 residents, routes between outermost region ports and public service routes. Exemption decisions have been published for ten Member States, including Malta.

Greenhouse gas intensity targets

The targets are set as a percentage reduction against a 2020 reference value of 91.16 gCO2e/MJ. Each level applies from 1 January of the year shown until the next step.

Period	Reduction against 2020 reference	Maximum GHG intensity (gCO2e/MJ)
2025 to 2029	2%	89.34
2030 to 2034	6%	85.69
2035 to 2039	14.5%	77.94
2040 to 2044	31%	62.90
2045 to 2049	62%	34.64
From 2050	80%	18.23

The early steps are modest and can be met with measures such as biofuel blending or LNG. The steep fall from 2040 onwards is what pushes owners towards renewable fuels, wind assistance and other zero emission options in their newbuilding decisions today.

Renewable fuels of non biological origin

FuelEU Maritime gives renewable fuels of non biological origin (RFNBOs), such as renewable hydrogen and the methanol and ammonia made from it, extra weight. Their energy counts twice towards a ship's compliance until the end of 2033.

There is no RFNBO mandate at the start. If the Commission finds that RFNBOs made up less than 1% of the energy used by ships in scope in 2031, a 2% RFNBO subtarget applies from 2034. The subtarget does not apply if the Commission finds insufficient production capacity, uneven geographic availability or prices that are too high.

Zero emission at berth: the shore power duty

Article 6 adds a separate duty for container ships and passenger ships, including cruise ships, above 5,000 GT. From 1 January 2030, they must connect to onshore power supply (OPS), or use an approved zero emission technology, for their full electrical demand at berth in the TEN-T ports covered by the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation. From 1 January 2035, the duty extends to every EU or EEA port where shore power is available.

Exceptions apply when a ship stays at the quayside for less than two hours, uses an approved zero emission technology, makes an unscheduled call for safety or to save life at sea, cannot connect because shore power is unavailable, insufficient or incompatible, or must run its own generators in an emergency or for limited tests. From 2035, the exceptions for unavailable, insufficient or incompatible shore power are capped at the lower of 10% of the ship's port calls in the year or 10 port calls.

Penalties

A ship whose yearly greenhouse gas intensity exceeds the limit has a compliance deficit. The penalty is EUR 2,400 per tonne of VLSFO equivalent energy in deficit, roughly EUR 58.5 per GJ of non compliant energy.

The penalty rises for repeat offenders. Where a ship has a deficit in two or more consecutive reporting periods, the penalty is multiplied by 1 + (n minus 1)/10, where n is the number of consecutive periods penalised. That adds 10% for each further year.

The at berth penalty is EUR 1.5 per kWh. It is calculated as EUR 1.5 multiplied by the ship's established electrical power demand at berth and by the total hours at berth without compliance, rounded up to the next whole hour. Penalties must be paid by 30 June each year, and Member States should use the revenue to support renewable fuels, bunkering, shore power and innovative ship technology.

Banking, borrowing and pooling

FuelEU Maritime gives companies three ways to manage compliance across years and fleets. Banking lets a ship carry a surplus into the next period. A banked surplus does not expire, stays with the ship and cannot be transferred to another ship.

Borrowing lets a ship with a deficit take an advance on next year's surplus, up to 2% of the GHG intensity limit multiplied by the ship's energy use. The borrowed amount is repaid with a 10% surcharge in the next period, and a ship cannot borrow in two consecutive periods.

Pooling lets two or more ships, from the same company or different companies, combine their compliance balances. A ship can join only one pool per period, the pool's total balance must not be negative, and the pool must be recorded with the verifier by 30 April.

Monitoring, verification and the FuelEU document of compliance

Companies had to submit a FuelEU monitoring plan for each ship to an accredited verifier by 31 August 2024. Ships that come into scope later submit within two months of their first call at an EU or EEA port. Reporting runs through THETIS, the platform operated by the European Maritime Safety Agency.

Each year follows a fixed cycle. The ship's FuelEU report goes to the verifier by 31 January, the verifier records the verified data in the FuelEU database by 31 March, and banking, borrowing and pooling must be recorded by 30 April. Penalties are paid by 30 June.

A ship with no deficit and no non compliant port calls receives a FuelEU document of compliance from its verifier by 30 June. A ship with a penalty receives it only once the penalty is paid. The document must be held on board, and a ship that fails to present one for two or more consecutive periods can face an expulsion order from EU ports.

FAQ

Questions, answered

When did FuelEU Maritime start?+

FuelEU Maritime, Regulation (EU) 2023/1805, has applied since 1 January 2025. Monitoring plans had to be submitted by 31 August 2024, and the first FuelEU reports for 2025 were due by 31 January 2026.

Which ships does FuelEU Maritime apply to?+

It applies to commercial ships above 5,000 GT carrying passengers or cargo to, from and between EU and EEA ports, regardless of flag.

What is the FuelEU Maritime target for 2025?+

From 2025 to 2029, the yearly average greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board must be 2% below the 2020 reference of 91.16 gCO2e/MJ, which is 89.34 gCO2e/MJ.

What is the FuelEU Maritime penalty?+

The penalty for a greenhouse gas intensity deficit is EUR 2,400 per tonne of VLSFO equivalent energy, rising by 10% for each further consecutive year of deficit. The penalty for failing to use shore power at berth from 2030 is EUR 1.5 per kWh of the ship's electrical demand at berth for each non compliant hour.

Does FuelEU Maritime require ships to use shore power?+

Yes. From 1 January 2030, container and passenger ships above 5,000 GT must use shore power or an approved zero emission technology at berth in TEN-T ports covered by AFIR, and from 1 January 2035 at every EU port where shore power is available.

What share of a voyage's energy is covered by FuelEU Maritime?+

FuelEU covers 100% of energy used on voyages between EU or EEA ports and at berth in them, and 50% of energy used on voyages between an EU or EEA port and a port outside it.

Can ships pool their FuelEU compliance?+

Yes. Two or more ships, including ships of different companies, can pool their compliance balances for a reporting period, provided the pool's total balance is not negative and it is recorded with the verifier by 30 April.

What is the FuelEU document of compliance?+

It is the annual certificate showing a ship met FuelEU Maritime for the previous year, issued by 30 June by the verifier or, where a penalty applied, after payment. It must be held on board.

Sources

Figures are checked against the regulation text and official sources listed above. Spotted something out of date? Write to media@dtfconference.com.

DTF 2027

Meet the ports, shipping lines and utilities delivering this in 2027.

PortFocus Barcelona · 24 and 25 Feb 2027 DTF Malta · 12 and 13 Oct 2027