Emissions reporting

ESPO ports concerned about ‘first signs’ of carbon and business leakage ahead of EU ETS

‘One must realise, that once evasion is established, and trading routes have changed, it will be very difficult to reverse the negative developments,’ says ESPO Secretary General.

Published

2 years ago

September 21, 2023

Admin

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) on Wednesday (20 September) reiterated its support for an emission trading scheme as instrument for greening the shipping sector but expressed serious concern about first signs of carbon and business leakage due to the limited scope of the current legislation.

It was replying to a public consultation on the list of non-EU neighbouring ports that would fall under the “transhipment clause” that has been introduced in the EU emission trading system (ETS) directive intended to limit the risks of carbon and business leakage once the EU ETS maritime comes into force.

The statement from ESPO is as follows:

For ESPO, the principle to not consider as a “port of call”, in the counting of the ETS charges, the calls to some transhipment ports neighbouring the EU is only a partial solution to the problem. ESPO fully agrees with the identification of Tanger Med and East Port Said as major neighbouring transhipments ports. However, it will not be enough to ensure that evasion cannot take place. While only a few neighbouring ports are reaching the very high transhipment volume thresholds put forward in the legislation (65%), many ports and terminals around Europe have and/or are building up transhipment capacity. The Commission should therefore not only look at current volumes, but also consider the transhipment capacity in the different ports neighbouring the EU.

Moreover, under the current legislation, even if the call at a non-EU transhipment port is subject to the special regime, it is still more favourable for ships to call at a non-EU port than at an EU transhipment port. When ships call at an EU transhipment port, the last leg between the transhipment port and any other EU port is subject to ETS charges for 100% of the journey. On the other hand, if the ships call at a non-EU transhipment port, only 50% of the journey is accounted for.

“We see a real ramping up of investments in additional TEU capacity in ports and new terminals in neighbouring countries, including investments realised by major shipping lines in these ports, and we also hear about first rerouting movements outside Europe. This reinforces the idea that shipping lines, where relevant, are preparing their way out of the EU ETS maritime. We recognise the importance of the EU ETS Directive and supports its aim, but we continue to regret that this legislative framework disadvantages EU ports vis-à-vis non-EU ports, without the expected benefit in terms of emission reduction”, stresses Zeno D'Agostino, Chairman of ESPO.

For the maritime EU ETS to be a success, the European Commission must make sure that the ETS implementation safeguards the competitiveness of European ports, and avoids carbon and business leakage to ports neighbouring the EU.

For Europe’s ports, monitoring should already take place ahead of the application date, as rerouting and evasion movements are already in preparation or happening now. Moreover, the monitoring should happen continuously, not only with a report every two years.

“One must realise, that once evasion is established, and trading routes have changed, it will be very difficult to reverse the negative developments”, says Isabelle Ryckbost, ESPO Secretary General.

While it is difficult to prove a direct causal link between certain rerouting and developments of terminals outside the EU, the level and intensity of recent developments in non-EU ports strengthen the concern of many European affected ports on the possible adverse effect of the EU ETS without the expected environmental benefit. On top of losing transhipment capacity and the corresponding jobs, Europe risks losing oversight and control of the entire supply chain.

Given the current situation and developments and the serious consequences of the implementation of this legislation for the competitiveness and future of some European ports, ESPO hopes for an open, continuous and constructive dialogue with the Commission allowing to map adverse impacts and signal evasion at a very early stage, in view of achieving an ETS that delivers the ambitions it has been designed for.

Photo credit: European Sea Ports Organisation
Published: 21 September, 2023

Related Topics:Others - Environment Port & Regulatory - Decarbonisation Technology - Emissions reporting

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Hapag-Lloyd uses StormGeo digital solutions for FuelEU Maritime compliance

StormGeo shares how it is supporting Hapag-Lloyd’s sustainability journey with its s-Log and s-Insight digital solutions to comply with the new FuelEU Maritime regulation.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 7, 2025

Admin

Voyage optimisation and weather intelligence solutions provider StormGeo on Thursday (6 March) shared how it is supporting Hapag-Lloyd’s sustainability journey with its s-Log and s-Insight digital solutions to comply with the new FuelEU Maritime regulation.

The following is an excerpt of the article:

As the shipping industry continues its journey towards a decarbonized future with the new FuelEU Maritime regulation, Hapag-Lloyd relies on StormGeo’s future-proof digital solutions and services to stay compliant and achieve its long-term sustainability goals.

Operating around 300 container ships with a total transport capacity of more than 2.3 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s most prominent and leading liner shipping companies – and the largest fleet sailing under the German flag.

In addition to being one of the largest in the industry, Hapag-Lloyd is also one of the greenest. The company was the first to ever convert a large container ship to dual-fuel propulsion capable of using LNG and by end of 2025 will have a fleet of 13 LNG dual-fuel vessels in operation, thereby reducing CO2 emissions significantly. Furthermore, up to 50 of their ships already run on biofuels, such as bio-LNG and FAME, capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional fuels.

Navigating FuelEU Maritime Compliance

With these sustainability initiatives, Hapag-Lloyd has taken crucial steps toward compliance with the FuelEU Maritime regulation that came into effect on January 1st, 2025. This EU-driven initiative dictates that shipping companies must decarbonize their operations by reducing the GHG intensity of their vessels and increasing the use of sustainable fuels, such as biofuels, green methanol, ammonia and others.

To become fully compliant, Hapag-Lloyd demands a robust biofuel-compliant reporting system that can efficiently align biofuel consumption data with the specific demands outlined in the new regulation.

With these 300 vessels requiring proper data reporting, validation, and verification by their emission verifier DNV, Hapag-Lloyd relies on StormGeo’s s-Log and s-Insight solutions to accurately monitor, report, and validate GHG intensity for FuelEU Maritime compliance and all other GHG emission reduction schemes (EU ETS, CII, MRV, IMO DCS, CCWG, and ESI).

“It’s crucial for us to work with partners like StormGeo, who share our commitment to drive the shipping industry toward a more sustainable future,” says Heribert Riesenhuber, Director Fleet Energy Management at Hapag-Lloyd Hamburg Head Office. “Our decade-long partnership has yielded great solutions for environmental compliance that have benefited not only us but the industry at large, and we’re excited to continue our work with StormGeo to advance our decarbonization goals and tackle new reporting requirements, such as FuelEU Maritime.”

The Role of Digital Tools in Shipping Decarbonization

Hapag-Lloyd leverages a comprehensive solution for the entire FuelEU Maritime compliance process, enabled by StormGeo’s ship-to-shore data reporting system s-Log to easily accommodate biofuel reporting in anticipation of the new regulation – in addition to the data validation system s-Insight and direct access to regulatory and industry experts.

With these solutions, Hapag-Lloyd can accurately calculate the GHG intensity of biofuels used across its fleet according to the specific requirements of the FuelEU Maritime regulation.

The data reporting system collects all fuel consumption data, including biofuels, and runs strict validation rules to identify and flag any reporting errors, improve data quality, and increase accuracy. The validated consumption data is then calculated into GHG intensity data, which can automatically be shared with all major emission verifiers globally, including DNV, through APIs.

Through its Hamburg-based Fleet Performance Center, StormGeo’s experts are available to support Hapag-Lloyd throughout the entire process, including proactive discussions with verifiers.

“Our collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd is an example of the power of partnerships in the decarbonization of the shipping industry,” says Till Braun, Strategic Account Manager and Sales Director at StormGeo. “Sustainable maritime operations require close collaboration between different industry players, and we’re excited to work with and learn from Hapag-Lloyd and their partners to simplify compliance and enable proactive sustainable strategies for the benefit of the industry as a whole.”

Note: The full story on how StormGeo is supporting Hapag-Lloyd’s sustainability journey can be found here.

Photo credit: Hapag-Lloyd
Published: 7 March, 2025

FuelEU

Gasum FuelEU Maritime pool data to be verified by DNV Emissions Connect solution

Gasum’s pooling service will use DNV’s Emissions Connect solution to gather and validate emissions data and DNV will verify pool compliance at the end of the year.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 3, 2025

Admin

Gasum supplies Equinor platform supply vessel with bio-LNG bunker fuel

Energy company Gasum on Tuesday (25 February) has signed an agreement with DNV, whereby DNV will verify the accuracy of Gasum’s FuelEU Maritime pooling service.

DNV is the world’s leading classification society and a recognized advisor for the maritime industry, headquartered in Norway. Gasum and DNV have a long-standing relationship as Gasum has for years been using DNV’s Fuel Boss system for managing LNG deliveries.

Gasum will use DNV’s Emissions Connect tool to gather and validate consumption and emissions data in real time from all vessels in the pool. This requires the installation of a very simple and cost-effective plug and play device on board each vessel.

Additionally, DNV will, at the end of the year, verify the balance of the pool for EU reporting purposes. This is a new requirement that has risen as a result of the FuelEU Maritime regulation, and DNV is up to the task due to its long experience in similar verification processes.

DNV’s role extends only to the pool and all pool members can still continue using their preferred verifier for their vessels.

Jani Arala, Solution Lead at Gasum, said: “In managing a pooling service like this, data is critical. Everything comes down to the validity of the data we collect as it enables us to keep the pool tightly in balance at all times. DNV’s Emissions Connect is the most reliable and easy to use tool on the market for gathering the data. DNV is a fantastic collaborator for us for this brand new service, because the company is trusted by all players in the industry and we have a long history together.”

Helge Hermundsgård, Head of Sales Emissions Connect at DNV, said: “DNV is proud to support Gasum’s FuelEU Maritime pool with our Emissions Connect solution, enabling effective pool compliance management throughout the year.”

“With increasing regulatory pressure, shipowners need reliable data and transparent processes to navigate FuelEU Maritime requirements efficiently. We look forward to supporting this initiative and continuing to provide trusted solutions for a more sustainable maritime industry.”

Photo credit: Gasum
Published: 3 March, 2025

Technology

StormGeo voyage optimisation solution to be deployed across G2 Ocean fleet

StormGeo’s Voyage Optimisation solution for G2 Ocean combines features such as onboard voyage planning, routing advisory, speed optimisation, and emissions monitoring and reporting.

Published

2 months ago

February 7, 2025

Admin

StormGeo voyage optimisation solution to be deployed across G2 Ocean fleet

Voyage optimisation and weather intelligence solutions provider StormGeo on Thursday (6 February) announced the expansion of its partnership with G2 Ocean, as its voyage optimisation solution will be deployed across the company’s fleet of 120 vessels.

The new agreement builds on the success of a long-term collaboration between the two maritime companies, further solidifying G2 Ocean’s confidence in StormGeo’s ability to support their goals of operational efficiency and decarbonisation.

G2 Ocean has selected StormGeo’s Voyage Optimisation solution, which empowers both shoreside and onboard teams to plan and execute optimised, safe voyages.

By integrating AI-driven insights, advanced technology, weather analytics, and the expertise of StormGeo’s route analysts and operational support professionals, this solution provides comprehensive, data-driven support at every stage of the voyage.

As a recognised leader in maritime innovation, G2 Ocean is committed to accelerating their digitalisation and decarbonisation efforts in the coming years, with StormGeo as a trusted partner in driving sustainable growth.

Phil Curran, Director Fleet Operations, at G2 Ocean, said: “The foundation for optimising a sea passage is accurate weather prediction coupled with best-in-class routing advice.”

“StormGeo has been the industry leader in providing weather routing service for 25 years and has added to their expertise a suite of innovative tools to ensure we have the most accurate data and decision-making capability.”

“We are confident that their applications are the right combination to enable significant cost and emissions reductions on every voyage.”

Petter Andersen, Senior Vice President, Shipping, at StormGeo, said: “The expansion of our partnership with G2 Ocean is a testament to the strong trust and collaboration we've built over the years.”

“G2 Ocean’s confidence in our Voyage Optimisation solution underscores the value we bring to their fleet in supporting both operational efficiency and sustainability goals.”

StormGeo’s Voyage Optimisation solution for G2 Ocean combines features such as onboard voyage planning, routing advisory, speed optimisation, emissions monitoring and reporting, commercial and technical performance optimisation based on High-Frequency sensor data, and advanced APIs.

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 7 February, 2025