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WSC: European Parliament proposed amendments to EU ETS put Green Deal goals at risk

Proposed changed definition of “responsible entity” would corrupt ETS, and bilateral agreements proposed would undermine progress towards global GHG policy.
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The World Shipping Council on Monday (24 January) published a statement on its view regarding recent proposed amendments to the EU Emissions Trading System:

The European Parliament’s lead MEP on the EU ETS proposes amendments to the ETS for maritime that put the impact and efficiency of the EU Green Deal at risk, says World Shipping Council (WSC).

The EU ETS intends to impose a technologically neutral greenhouse gas (GHG) price across all elements of industries like shipping, to incentivize the most cost-effective GHG emissions reductions and innovative solutions. Carbon pricing is a key part of driving adoption of zero-GHG fuels, and the EU ETS can be an important step toward global market-based-measures that would apply to all ships, not only to a fraction of international fleets.

WSC has two primary concerns:

  1. The proposed changed definition of “responsible entity” would corrupt the ETS: The proposed amendments[1] are intended to shield shipowners from ETS costs and then provide them with front-of-line access to ETS revenues such as the Ocean Fund. This would corrupt the whole idea of the ETS, changing it from a “polluter-pays” policy to a system where the “polluter-gets-paid”, and vastly reduce its effectiveness.  A market incentive for technological change that cannot be applied to shipowners who control the pace of shipboard technology innovation will fail to achieve EU Green Deal goals, slowing down the pace of transition.
  2. The bilateral agreements proposed would undermine progress towards global GHG policy: Other amendments[2] direct the European Commission to abandon its principle of multilateralism and engage in bilateral deals with nations to extend carbon pricing only for routes serving Europe. This would be a costly distraction, undermining progress towards global GHG policy at the IMO and slowing progress toward decarbonising shipping. It would also undermine the GHG and economic goals of the EU Green Deal, amplifying the risks identified in EU impact assessments – GHG leakage, loss of EU port competitiveness, and distortion of trade.

Shipowners and operators share responsibility for decarbonisation

“Ship greenhouse gas emissions result from the combination of design technology, fuel consumed, and operational practices. It’s obvious, frankly, that one cannot decarbonise shipping without addressing the ship itself. A regional EU ETS carbon price must apply to all parties who have a role in GHG reductions– shipowners and operators,” says John Butler, President & CEO of WSC.

Bilateral agreements put global progress at risk

Amendments directing the Commission to pursue bilateral agreements to extend GHG pricing further beyond the European Economic Area (EEA) can only slow progress toward global market-based-measures. Any resulting agreements would also be ineffective as the bilateral extension of regional EU ETS could at best extend it to address about 20% of global emissions.[3] Gaining nothing globally, these amendments would also amplify regional EU risks of GHG leakage, voyage evasion and diversion of seaborne trade, and competitive losses across EU ports and supply chains.[4]

“WSC members are owners, operators, and charterers of ships and are committed to decarbonising shipping. We understand the shared responsibility for GHG reductions in the maritime sector, and we don’t underestimate the challenge. Decarbonising shipping is an “all hands” and global effort, and regional policy must lead rather than impede,” concludes John Butler.

References

[1]  See Peter Liese report, Amendments 9, 10, 18, 29, 44, 45 in particular. The rapporteur proposes the inclusion of ‘time charterers’ within the definition of the responsible entity under the regulation and to require a legally binding clause in charter contracts that mandates the pass through of EU ET costs from the owner to the charterer.

[2]  See Peter Liese report, Amendments 7, 8, 46, 47 in particular. This directs the European Commission to engage in bilateral agreements with nations to extend carbon pricing to remainder of voyages starting between EU and non-EU ports which are not covered under the Commission’s proposal.

[3] “In 2018, ships calling at EU and European Economic Area ports emitted around 140 million tonnes of CO2. This represents 18 % of the global CO2 emissions from international shipping (STEAM).” European Maritime Transport Environmental Report, EEA and EMSA, 2021.

[4] CE Delft & DLR, Research for TRAN Committee – Maritime shipping, aviation and the EU ETS: challenges and impacts, Final report, European Parliament, Policy Department for Structural and Cohesion Policies, Brussels, 2021.

 

Photo credit: Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash
Source: World Shipping Council
Published: 25 January, 2022

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LNG Bunkering

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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May 22, 2026

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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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Ammonia

MMMCZCS: MAGPIE Project confirms operational feasibility of ammonia bunkering

MAGPIE consortium completed a successful ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering simulation in Rotterdam on 12 April, proving that ammonia can be bunkered safely within an operating port.
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MMMCZCS: MAGPIE Project confirms operational feasibility of ammonia bunkering

The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) on Thursday (21 May) said a new demonstration project in the Port of Rotterdam showed that ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering can be carried out safely within an active port environment. 

The demonstration is part of the EU-funded MAGPIE (sMArt Green Ports as Integrated Efficient multimodal hubs) project, and the report is now available, providing concrete learnings that industry can use to guide future ammonia bunkering and accelerate global port permitting.

The shipping sector must transition away from fossil fuels to meet climate targets. Ammonia is considered a promising alternative fuel, but its specific hazards pose significant safety, operational, and regulatory challenges. Without competent operators, fit-for-purpose equipment and robust safety and regulatory frameworks, ammonia bunkering cannot take place safely in ports.

Within the MAGPIE project, a full-scale simulation of a ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering operation was conducted in the Port of Rotterdam on 12 April 2025. The demonstration showed that ammonia bunkering within port limits is operationally feasible when carefully planned and executed within a robust safety and regulatory framework.

The learnings from the demonstration have now been consolidated by the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and project partners in a comprehensive ammonia bunkering demonstration report. This publication provides the industry with practical lessons and a validated port safety framework and tools that other ports can use as a blueprint for ammonia bunkering.

A key outcome of the project is the validation of the Port of Rotterdam’s port safety framework for ammonia as a fuel, as well as the International Association of Ports and Harbours’ (IAPH) Port Readiness Tool. The results demonstrate that these frameworks are fit-for-purpose instruments for ports considering the introduction of new alternative fuels.

“The project delivers practical learnings, validation sheets and recommendations that can be used by ports globally to build confidence in ammonia bunkering and to inform future port permitting and regulatory processes. The results support the EU’s ambition for green ports and the safe deployment of alternative fuels in the maritime sector,” said Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.

“The energy transition requires new, integrated value chains. This ammonia bunker pilot is an important step in developing a complete value chain for alternative fuels, from import to application in shipping. Together with our partners, we demonstrate that innovation, safety, and scalability can go hand in hand. Rotterdam plays a connecting role as an energy and logistics hub for Northwest Europe,” said Boudewijn Siemons, CEO, Port of Rotterdam.

The learnings from MAGPIE contribute to a broader effort to accelerate sustainable, smart and multimodal port systems and results will be shared with the wider industry to support the global transition of the shipping sector.

Note: The report titled ‘Ammonia Bunkering Demonstration Report’ can be found here. 

 

Photo credit: Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
Published: 22 May, 2026

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Environment

OliOil selects Elomatic as partner for autonomous oil spill response container design

A unique feature of the solution is that the container can be placed on both oil-carrying vessels and in ports, enabling rapid response capability.
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May 15, 2026

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OliOil selects Elomatic as partner for autonomous oil spill response container design

Finnish startup OliOil recently said it is developing an oil spill response container that enables advanced prevention of oil spread immediately after an incident occurs. 

Elomatic will design the system to meet performance and operational reliability requirements under challenging conditions.

The collaboration between Elomatic and OliOil focuses on developing the oil spill response container technology from pilot phase toward industrial manufacturing. 

In the preliminary design phase, the aim is to create a concept for a functional system where containerized boats deploy autonomously during an oil spill, using AI and robotics to position containment booms.

OliOil’s oil spill response container was created from a LUT University research project focused on Baltic Sea protection. 

What makes the solution advanced is that the container can be placed on both oil-carrying vessels and in ports, enabling rapid response capability. Boom deployment is the critical first step in any spill response, preventing the oil’s spread and enabling efficient oil recovery with specialized collection equipment.

Elomatic’s scope covers container design, boat hoisting systems, electrification, and ventilation. The team is also defining the boats’ technical specifications and designing their propulsion systems.

“Elomatic’s expertise in both industry and marine technology is valuable. It’s also important to us that Elomatic has experience in commercializing innovations in addition to engineering expertise,” said Kristian Laiho, Chair of the Board at OliOil.

“It’s great to work with a company bringing new solutions to environmental challenges. Utilizing our broad expertise in OliOil’s product development and commercialization is meaningful to us,” said Karoliina Joensuu, Head of Industry Business Unit at Elomatic.

 

Photo credit: OliOil
Published: 15 May, 2026

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