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InterManager urges EC to employ ‘polluter pays’ principle in environmental policy

Group is concerned ‘proposed legislation could miss its mark’ if it holds ship managers accountable for emissions reductions rather than target parties who control key pollution-related aspects in ship op.
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InterManager, Cyprus-registered global association representing the ship management sector, on Tuesday (23 May) urged the European Commission (EC) to follow the ‘polluter pays’ approach when finalising legislation intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping in European waters.

They highlighted concerns that proposed legislation could miss its mark if it holds ship management firms accountable for emissions reductions rather than target the parties who control key pollution-related aspects of ship operation such as fuel, machinery and vessel speed.

The Commission is set to finalise legislation which will include GHG emissions from maritime transport within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) and ship management association InterManager, which represents 80% of the world’s largest ship management companies, has submitted a position paper to inform this discussion. Its concerns centre on the definition of the entity responsible for ETS compliance.

In its submission, InterManager, stated: “The huge financial risk imposed on ship managers by the revised ETS Directive is disproportionate to the negligible influence managers have in respect of the emissions generation by maritime transport. By directing compliance and enforcement measures at a party which is neither the polluter nor able to exert significant influence on the polluter, the current form of the revised ETS Directive significantly dilutes the incentives for polluters to reduce emissions. This is in direct conflict with the “polluter pays” principle, which is a key tenet of EU environmental policy.”

InterManager stressed that it recognises the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport and welcomes regulations designed to enable the shipping industry to decarbonise, including revisions to the EU-ETS to include maritime transport emissions within its scope.

However, it urged the Commission to word the regulation carefully to ensure the correct parties are in focus: “Under a Polluter Pays Scheme such as EU-ETS, the default responsible party should be the one controlling the highest number of emissions relevant aspects, not the one with the lowest.”

“As technical ship managers we take care of repairs, maintenance and crewing for, and on behalf, as agents of our customers the shipowners. Most of a vessel’s emission relevant key aspects are outside our remit – the speed, predominantly determining the consumption, as well as the trading area of the vessels are contractually agreed between shipowner and charterer in the Charter Party Contract, without involvement of the technical ship manager. The type of fuel used, the engines and other machinery installed on the vessels are decided by the shipowner when ordering or buying the vessel, also outside our remit,” it wrote.

InterManager Secretary General, Captain Kuba Szymanski, commented: “It would be patently unjust if the EU legislation forcibly imposed that the ship manager shall be the regulated entity, this would be similar to holding the facility manager responsible, not the factory owner.”

Noting the EU’s efforts to align the EU-ETS legislation with the shipping industry’s ISM Code, InterManager’s submission points out: “ISM is concerned with the safety of vessel operations in which we, as technical managers, do have a say as we provide the crew that operates the vessel in a safe manner as well as the procedural framework that allows them to do so. EU ETS is not geared towards safety but aims at reducing the environmental impact of shipping, which will require different fuels, different machinery and/or lower speeds – all decisions outside the remit of the technical ship manager.”

InterManager said it is an active participant at the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations maritime regulatory body, where it holds Non-Governmental Organisational (NGO) status. 

 

Photo credit: InterManager
Published: 24 May, 2023

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Biofuel

BHP and GCMD trial multi-feedstock B100 bio bunker fuel on bulk carrier

Bio-blend in the BHP and GCMD pilot is being used on a BHP-chartered bulk carrier “Berge Lyngor”, which was bunkered in Singapore in early May.

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BHP and GCMD trial multi-feedstock B100 bio bunker fuel on bulk carrier

BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (3 June) said they have blended biofuels from two distinct feedstocks—used cooking oil and waste animal fats —and introduced the lower-emissions marine fuel into a BHP-chartered bulk carrier as part of a pilot project.

The bio-blend in the BHP and GCMD pilot is being used on a BHP-chartered bulk carrier Berge Lyngor, owned and operated by Berge Bulk, transporting BHP iron ore from Western Australia to China. When run on bio-blend, the vessel has the potential to reduce well-to-wake greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 79 per cent per voyage compared to sailing on very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO).

The vessel bunkered in Singapore in early May with a B100 bio-blend comprising 50 percent tallow-derived biodiesel, sourced and supplied by HAMR Energy, and 50 per cent used cooking oil (UCOME) supplied by Mitsui & Co Energy Trading Singapore (METS).

Mitsui also blended the fuel and Dan-Bunkering coordinated and executed the bunkering operation, which was performed by Global Energy’s barge MT Maple.

The BHP and GCMD pilot will assess how biofuels from multiple feedstocks can be blended, handled, and introduced under real-world operating conditions using existing used cooking oil bunkering infrastructure.

At the same time, insights from this pilot will help identify solutions to challenges related to fuel quality, handling, traceability, and onboard vessel performance.

Biofuels for global shipping today rely heavily on used cooking oil – a feedstock whose availability is approaching its projected limits. Biofuel from waste animal fats presents a promising option to expand the supply of lower-emissions marine fuels.

The outcomes of the pilot are expected to shed light on the practical steps to integrate biofuel blends from different feedstocks into existing supply chains. The diversity of biofuels will provide shipowners and operators with greater flexibility to optimise fuel procurement based on cost, availability, and lifecycle emissions performance.

Biofuels derived from different feedstocks can exhibit varying properties that may impact operations, including potential corrosion from oxidation, fuel system clogging caused by wax formation, which this pilot aims to assess.

The pilot will trace and verify the biofuel blend’s integrity aimed at bolstering confidence in emissions reductions reporting. The pilot will also provide insights into how robust tracing can support future marine fuel supply chains where biofuels from multiple feedstocks with varying lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions footprints are blended together.

This project is co-funded by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore under the Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund (MINT).

 

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 3 June, 2026

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Biofuel

NYK starts one-year B100 bio bunker fuel trial on car carrier

In this trial, NYK will operate a car carrier continuously on B100 for one year to evaluate the impact on engines, fuel supply systems, and operational practices.
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NYK starts one-year B100 bio bunker fuel trial on car carrier

Japanese shipping firm NYK on Tuesday (2 June) said it has commenced a one-year long-term trial involving the continuous use of 100% biofuel (B100) on an NYK-operated car carrier. 

In this trial, NYK will operate a car carrier continuously on B100 for one year to evaluate the impact on engines, fuel supply systems, and operational practices. High-purity biofuels such as B100 are known to be susceptible to degradation from oxygen, light, and heat, raising concerns about the stability of such fuels during long-term use.

In this trial, the biofuel primarily comprises FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) derived from used cooking oil and similar feedstocks.

The initiative is designed to evaluate the fuel’s effects on the vessel’s equipment and verify operational safety under real-world conditions. 

Through this effort, NYK seeks to accumulate technical expertise that will support the broader use of high-purity biofuels and further accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

NYK has been advancing the use of biofuels through various initiatives. In 2024, the company conducted a trial using biofuel blend B24 and subsequently expanded practical usage to B30. However, the company said there remains limited global experience with the long-term continuous use of B100.

“By collecting long-term operational data through this trial, NYK aims to accumulate valuable technical insights to support both the safe operation of vessels and the wider adoption of high-purity biofuels,” it said. 

 

Photo credit: NYK
Published: 3 June, 2026

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Ammonia

AM Green plans to build green ammonia plant at Indian port

Initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes, says VOC Port Authority.

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VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority on Friday (29 May) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s ammonia producer AM Green Ammonia to collaborate in the development of a green ammonia production plant.

The plant will have a capacity of one million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at Tuticorin.

The initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes. 

The project is expected to support the development of green fuel corridors connecting VOC Port with major ports in Europe and Asia, thereby strengthening India’s position in the global green fuels value chain.

VOC Port also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bureau Veritas (India) Pvt. Ltd., to collaborate on Green Port certification, emissions accounting, ESG reporting, safety validation, development of green bunkering practices, and establishment of a Centre of Excellence for green fuels and sustainability.

The port also plans for an upcoming 750 m³ green methanol bunkering facility.

 

Photo credit: Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash
Published: 3 June, 2026

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