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

3 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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Marine Fuels Alliance partners with TidalIQ on website emissions calculator

Emissions calculator helps users estimate vessel or fleet compliance positions, potential penalty exposure, pooling requirements and the indicative value of surplus compliance

Published

1 week ago

July 6, 2026

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Marine Fuels Alliance partners with TidalIQ on website emissions calculator

Marine Fuels Alliance (MFA) on Friday (3 July) said it has connected with TidalIQ, which has provided an emissions calculator for its website.

MFA said the FuelEU Maritime has turned vessel emissions performance into a commercial issue. Operators now need to understand whether their fleet is in surplus or deficit, what that means financially, and whether pooling can reduce cost or create value.

“The emissions calculator helps users estimate vessel or fleet compliance positions, potential penalty exposure, pooling requirements and the indicative value of surplus compliance,” the alliance said in a social media post.

From there, the TidalIQ platform helps users move from calculation to action: managing fleet compliance, identifying pooling opportunities, generating standardised documentation and maintaining a clear audit trail for verifiers and internal records.

“For operators facing deficits, TidalIQ helps identify a more cost-effective route to compliance. For operators with surplus, it creates a clearer path to monetising better-performing vessels,” it added.

“FuelEU compliance is no longer just a regulatory task. It is a commercial decision – and TidalIQ helps the market make that decision confidently.”

Note: The emissions calculator can be found here.

Photo credit: Marine Fuels Alliance
Published: 6 July, 2026

Emissions reporting

StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and UK ETS requirements.

Published

1 month ago

June 4, 2026

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StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Weather intelligence and decision support solutions provider StormGeo and Hamburg-based technology platform OceanScore on Wednesday (3 June) said they have deepened their ongoing cooperation through the signing of a collaboration agreement during Posidonia 2026 in Athens on 2 June.

The cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements.

Together, the companies aim to help shipping companies seamlessly navigate increasing regulatory complexity more efficiently — from emissions reporting and data validation to compliance exposure management, pooling and financial settlement.

As emissions regulation becomes an increasingly important part of commercial shipping operations, the need for reliable operational data and streamlined compliance processes continues to grow. The cooperation between StormGeo and OceanScore is designed to support shipping companies with more connected, transparent and actionable processes across operational and commercial teams.

“From the outside, companies like StormGeo and OceanScore may sometimes be perceived as competitors because both operate around emissions and compliance workflows,” said Albrecht Grell, Managing Director at OceanScore.

“But in reality, the industry increasingly needs both perspectives working together: trusted operational emissions data on one side and commercial compliance execution on the other. Our cooperation reflects that shipping companies are no longer looking for isolated solutions — they need connected processes, automated across different systems and reliable decision-making throughout the full compliance chain.”

By connecting validated operational emissions data with commercial compliance management, the cooperation supports workflows across:

emissions reporting and validation
compliance management across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements
exposure visibility and cost transparency
pooling, settlement and financial processes

The cooperation also aims to improve commercial transparency and coordination across operational and commercial stakeholders.

“StormGeo plays a central role in helping shipping companies turn operational vessel and emissions data into trusted, decision-ready insights,” said Espen Martinsen, Chief Commercial Officer at StormGeo.

“As emissions regulations become more complex, this data is essential for transparent and efficient compliance management. By working with OceanScore, we can help customers connect StormGeo’s validated operational data with commercial compliance processes, creating a more integrated and practical approach to emissions management.”

The signing ceremony took place at the StormGeo booth during Posidonia 2026 in Athens and was attended by representatives from both companies.

Both companies expect the cooperation to continue evolving alongside upcoming regulatory developments, including FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, the upcoming UK ETS and future emissions-related frameworks affecting global shipping.

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 4 June, 2026

Technology

StormGeo integrates Alfa Laval sensor data with Voyage Intelligence platform

Enhancing voyage efficiency is seen as the primary use case for sensor data in the short term, with the initial focus mainly on marine fuel consumption, according to StormGeo’s VP Shipping Petter Andersen.

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June 2, 2026

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StormGeo launches new premium advisory offering with emission compliance reporting

Weather intelligence and decision support solutions provider StormGeo on Monday (1 June) said the company is expanding its Voyage Intelligence platform by integrating sensor data from shipboard energy consumers to deliver real-time insights for enhanced technical performance under a partnership with its parent Alfa Laval.

The joint project marked a significant advance in digitalisation of shipboard equipment through automated collection of engine and hull data and integration into a wider digital ecosystem to give a clearer overview and better understanding of vessel performance.

StormGeo and Alfa Laval are combining their resources to provide hardware installation, data collection and analysis, performance advice and client support as part of a unique, all-inclusive delivery from a single company.

StormGeo’s VP Shipping Petter Andersen, said: “The goal is to provide a comprehensive, integrated solution for shipping companies to simplify data collection and harvest more value by using actionable insights from sensor data to enable faster and better-informed voyage decision-making.”

Enhanced data-driven insight into vessel performance represents an enabler for operational efficiencies and fuel savings to boost sustainability through more effective decisions, with AI-driven analytics seen as a tool to support rather than replace human judgment to maintain the focus on safety as top priority.

“Ship operators need actionable insights, not just data. Continuous real-time monitoring helps transform sensor and performance data into smarter operational decisions,” Andersen said.

Alfa Laval, a supplier of ship equipment and specialist in real-time monitoring, is taking advantage of recent advances in onboard connectivity to apply its expertise in sensor data collection to shipping through the tie-up with StormGeo, a global provider of weather intelligence and smart digital solutions for voyage optimization.

Enhancing voyage efficiency is seen as the primary use case for sensor data in the short term, with the initial focus mainly on fuel consumption, according to Andersen.

Real-time data increases visibility of hull and main/auxiliary engine performance to inform proactive efficiency measures such as hull cleaning or engine tuning, while also providing a basis for long-term analysis and benchmarking at both individual ship and fleet level.

“The innovative element of this integration is that we are assimilating equipment sensor data with an array of datasets covering weather, route optimization, voyage planning and navigation, emissions reporting, and bunker planning and procurement accessible via a unified user interface. This gives a more holistic overview for operational decisions,” according to Andersen.

StormGeo is the sole contracting party for the integrated solution, while accessing resources and technology from Alfa Laval’s global network. The company now sees the opportunity for future application of sensor data to a wide range of operational, safety, commercial and environmental use cases in maritime, in partnership with third-party data providers.

In particular, Andersen highlighted the potential for automation of noon reporting based on streaming of fuel consumption data to replace time-consuming manual processes – such as email and fax – for meeting SOLAS and other reporting requirements. A further possible application is condition-based monitoring of equipment for proactive maintenance.

This is part of Alfa Laval’s broader strategy to expand sensor data collection across multiple ship systems to realize an Internet of Things (IoT) onboard as part of its cloud-based ALIoT platform, in line with the trend towards increased connectivity in shipping and smarter vessel operations.

Alfa Laval’s Head of Vessel Operations, Jesper Boman, said: “There’s a lot of potential to further digitalize, giving operators real-time insights that help them make better decisions, reduce risk, improve reliability, and avoid unnecessary costs.

“At the same time, implementing and using digital tools needs to be done with robust cybersecurity measures in place. Aligned with the international standards, to keep our maritime assets safe.”

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 2 June, 2026