When did FuelEU Maritime start?
Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 applies in full from 1 January 2025, following earlier monitoring-plan requirements. Its purpose is to drive the uptake of renewable and low-carbon energy in maritime transport by progressively tightening the permitted greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board.
Which ships are in scope?
As a general rule, FuelEU Maritime applies to commercial ships above 5,000 gross tonnage calling at EU ports, regardless of flag. The regulation contains detailed rules on scope, port calls, exemptions and the treatment of voyages, so an individual vessel or voyage should always be checked against the regulation and current Commission guidance.
What does FuelEU measure?
The core metric is the yearly average greenhouse gas intensity of the energy used on board, expressed in grams of CO₂ equivalent per megajoule. FuelEU uses a well-to-wake approach, so the calculation considers lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions rather than only emissions produced when fuel is burned on the ship.
The regulation covers carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide within that lifecycle framework. The required reduction starts at 2% in 2025 and increases over time, reaching 80% by 2050 against the regulation's reference value.
A vessel can consume a large amount of energy but still have a lower GHG intensity if the energy mix has a lower lifecycle emissions profile. FuelEU compares intensity against the applicable target and then derives a ship-specific compliance balance.
What happens if a ship has surplus or deficit?
A verified compliance balance can be positive or negative. A positive balance represents compliance surplus; a negative balance represents compliance deficit. FuelEU provides flexibility mechanisms including banking, borrowing and pooling, each with its own conditions and verification requirements.
Pooling is especially important commercially because it allows the verified compliance balances of two or more ships to be combined, subject to Article 21 conditions. That is different from simply transferring surplus units from one ship to another.
How is FuelEU different from EU ETS?
FuelEU Maritime and the EU Emissions Trading System are separate regulatory regimes. FuelEU focuses on the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board and the resulting compliance balance. EU ETS requires shipping companies to surrender emission allowances for covered maritime emissions. The two can affect the same voyage, which is why operators often need to understand both views together.
Where does TidalIQ fit?
TidalIQ is built around the operational and commercial work that follows from these compliance positions: understanding verified vessel and fleet data, modelling indicative exposure, coordinating genuine pooling supply, progressing agreements and keeping transaction evidence connected.
The FuelEU Maritime calculator can be used to model an indicative voyage position, while the platform overview shows how fleet position, pooling, messages, agreements and documents fit together.
Official references
Related guides
This guide is general information, not legal or verification advice. Always check the current regulation, Commission guidance and the position agreed with your verifier.