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ISWG-GHG 11 discusses revision of ship fuel oil consumption Data Collection System

Progress made on developing draft lifecycle GHG and carbon intensity guidelines for marine fuels and assessment of impacts of GHG measures, says IMO.
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Progress on developing draft lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon intensity guidelines for marine fuels and assessment of impacts of GHG measures has been made at the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 11), according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The session, held remotely between 14 to 19 March 2022, was attended by more than 430 participants from some 70 Member States, as well as from NGOS in consultative status with IMO.

It also considered proposals on how to keep the impacts of the short-term measure under review and proposals for the revision of the ship fuel oil consumption Data Collection System (DCS).

The short term measure to reduce carbon intensity was adopted as amendments to MARPOL Annex VI in June 2021 and includes the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI);  annual operational carbon intensity indicator (CII) and CII rating.

The Working Group’s report will be submitted to the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at its next session in June (MEPC 78, 6-10 June 2022).

Lifecycle GHG emission guidelines for marine fuels

The Working Group noted the urgency of the development of draft lifecycle GHG and carbon intensity guidelines for marine fuels as expressed by many delegations to facilitate investment decisions, and following detailed discussions aimed to finalize the draft guidelines at MEPC 79 (12-16 December).

To that purpose, the Working Group proposed the establishment of a correspondence group to further develop the draft guidelines using the draft guidelines submitted by Member States as a basis.

The working group agreed that the standalone technical lifecycle guidelines would cover Well-to-Wake, including Well-to-Tank and Tank-to-Wake, emission values, but that any regulatory application of the guidelines would be defined in a separate process.

Recalling that the guidelines would be fuel-neutral, the working group also agreed that the main “initial” feedstocks to be included in the draft LCA guidelines would not be considered as “priority” fuels to avoid discriminating against other possible feedstocks and pathways and prejudging further discussions. Initial feedstocks merely represented the main current and expected future marine fuels.

A candidate short-term measure in the IMO Initial GHG Strategy refers to developing “robust lifecycle GHG/carbon intensity guidelines for all types of fuels, in order to prepare for an implementation programme for effective uptake of alternative low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels”.

The lifecycle refers to the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the fuel production to the ship (Well-to-Wake); from primary production to carriage of the fuel in a ship’s tank (Well-to-Tank, also known as upstream emissions) and from the ship’s fuel tank to the exhaust (Tank-to-Propeller or Tank-to-Wake, also known as downstream emissions).

Candidate future low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels for shipping have diverse production pathways (for example, different generations of biofuels, hydrogen-based fuels, etc.) entailing significant differences in their overall environmental footprint.

Impact assessments of candidate GHG reduction measures

The Initial IMO GHG strategy recognizes that the impacts on States of a proposed measure should be assessed and taken into account as appropriate, with particular attention paid to the needs of developing countries, especially small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs).

The Working Group reconfirmed that the Initial IMO GHG Strategy identified work on the assessment of impacts on States as a key element of the Organization’s efforts in reducing GHG emissions from ships whilst that impact assessment process needed to be both a meaningful and a manageable task.

The group considered the report of an Ad-hoc Expert Workshop on Impact Assessments (which met 8-9 March 2022) which had considered various procedural and methodological issues related to assessment of impacts of candidate GHG reduction measures.

Overall, the Working Group expressed its appreciation to the process and methodologies used under the comprehensive impact assessment of the short-term measure and confirmed that it provided a solid basis for future comprehensive impact assessments.

The Working Group reiterated the need for relevant methodological and process-related improvements.  A draft text of process and methodological elements to complement the procedure for assessing impacts on states of candidate measure was developed and will be considered again by the Group later this year. The aim is that this could be included in a future revision of the  Procedure for assessing impacts on States of candidate measures (MEPC.1/Circ.885)

It was noted that further work was needed to complete the lessons-learned exercise of the comprehensive impact assessment of the short-term measure, in order for this to be completed by MEPC 79.

Maritime Transport Cost Data collection in the Pacific region

The Working Group was informed by the Secretariat that in follow-up to the identified data gaps in the comprehensive impact assessment of the short-term GHG reduction measure, it had initiated a new study aimed at improving the availability of maritime transport costs data in the Pacific region. This initiative is aimed at facilitating future impact assessments of candidate mid-term GHG reduction measures.

The project is funded by the IMO’s multi-donor GHG TC Trust Fund and will be implemented by the MTCC-Pacific, in cooperation with other organizations active in the region.

Revision of the ship fuel oil consumption Data Collection System (DCS) 

In 2016 IMO adopted the mandatory IMO Data Collection System (DCS) for ships to collect and report fuel oil consumption data from ships over 5,000 gt (the first calendar year data collection was completed in 2019).

The Working Group agreed draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI Appendix IX  Information to be submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database, to include more information on the ship’s carbon intensity performance (EEXI and CII). The Secretary-General was invited to circulate the draft amendments for adoption at MEPC 79.

Following discussion on other potential amendments to Appendix IX of MARPOL Annex VI and associated guidelines on the data collection system, the Working Group agreed to initiate a workstream on the revision of the Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Data Collection System. It recommended that the Committee invite interested Member States and international organizations to submit concrete proposals to a future Working Group session.

Next ISWG-GHG

The 12th session of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 12) is schedule to meet 16-20 May. It will consider the final report of the Correspondence Group on Carbon Intensity Reduction and concrete proposals for midterm measures and associated impact assessments, including the proposal to establish an International Maritime Research Board, in the context of IMO’s Work plan on the development mid-term GHG reduction measures.

 

Photo credit: International Maritime Organization
Published: 22 March, 2022

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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.
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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. 

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

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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.

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Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 4 June, 2026

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Following “Seaspan Yangtze”, the remaining vessels planned for retrofit under the methanol retrofit programme are “Seaspan Amazon”, “Seaspan Ganges”, “Seaspan Thames”, and “Seaspan Zambezi”.
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Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd complete first of five methanol vessel retrofit

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“Decarbonisation is not just about building the fleet of tomorrow, it is also about unlocking the full potential of the fleet we have today. Retrofitting and upgrades on existing fleets play a practical, immediate, and economical role in accelerating shipping’s decarbonization journey,” said Bing Chen, Chairman, President and CEO of Seaspan. 

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“The successful conversion of the Seaspan Yangtze together with the planned retrofit of its four sister vessels is another important step on our ambitious path towards net-zero fleet operations by 2045,” said Silke Lehmköster, Managing Director, Fleet, Hapag-Lloyd. 

“Together with Seaspan, we are demonstrating that retrofitting existing vessels for low-carbon methanol can be a practical way to reduce emissions in shipping.”

 

Photo credit: Seaspan
Published: 4 June, 2026

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MOL and Seaspan sign annual LNG bunkering deal for car carriers in Port of Vancouver

MOL says North America is one of the key trade lanes for car carriers, and with recent delivery of new LNG-fuelled vessels, securing a stable LNG fuel supply in the area has become increasingly important.
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MOL and Seaspan sign annual LNG bunkering deal for car carriers in Port of Vancouver

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) on Thursday  (21 May) announced that MOL and Seaspan Energy have signed the first annual contract for LNG bunkering for car carriers at the Port of Vancouver, Canada. 

On 29 April, MOL completed the first LNG bunkering under this contract. Since completing the first LNG bunkering on the West Coast of North America on 1 March 2025 – the first by a Japanese shipping company – MOL has conducted several additional LNG bunkering operations in the region. 

North America is one of the key trade lanes for car carriers, and with the recent delivery of new LNG-fuelled vessels, securing a stable LNG fuel supply in the area has become increasingly important. This contract underscores the company’s commitment to establishing a stable and seamless regional LNG fuel procurement framework.

Seaspan expanded its LNG bunkering capabilities in 2026 from Vancouver to Long Beach, California, and continues to proactively support the growth of a clean marine supply chain.

Seaspan Energy President Harly Penner, said: “The relationship between Seaspan Energy and MOL is highly valued. MOL was the first car carrier operator to receive LNG bunkering services in the Port of Vancouver, and we are proud to continue supporting their operations in Vancouver through this annual LNG bunkering agreement. 

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing lower-emission marine transportation and supporting the industry’s transition toward net-zero GHG emissions.”

Marine Fuel GX Division General Manager Daisuke Fujihashi, said: “We are very pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Seaspan Energy through this contract for LNG fuel procurement. 

“Looking ahead, we will continue to deepen our collaboration with Seaspan Energy in the field of clean fuels, including bio LNG, and remain committed to offering our customers more pathways toward cleaner supply chains.”

 

Photo credit: MOL
Published: 22 May, 2026

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