ETS, FuelEU & RED: Sustainability certification for marine bunker fuels
ATTN: ALL FULL MEMBERS
ALL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Dear Members,
Sustainability certification of marine bunker fuels will be crucial in the implementation of the EU ETS and FuelEU maritime.
Certification for biofuels and renewable synthetic fuels used onboard ships.
Both FuelEU Maritime and ETS extension to maritime require a demonstration of RED-certification for biofuels and renewable synthetic fuels used onboard ships.
- Despite indicating that sustainable marine bunker fuels must be RED-certified, both FuelEU and MRV/ETS do not specify the process for demonstration of compliance of the sustainable fuels used onboard to MRV/ETS/FuelEU Verifiers.
- The end-goal objective, under both scopes of FuelEU and MRV/ETS is to ensure that the Verifiers responsible for the assessment of compliance under both FuelEU and MRV/ETS – receive robust reassuring evidence of RED-compliance of marine bunker fuels.
Workshop on “Demonstration of Sustainability Certification for Marine Bunker Fuels
On 25 June, DG MOVE, DG CLIMA, and DG ENER held a workshop on “Demonstration of Sustainability Certification for Marine Bunker Fuels”.
- Enclosed are the agenda, discussion paper, meeting report from the Commission, and relevant diagrams.
Demonstration of Sustainability Certification of Marine Bunker Fuels
The result of the Workshop on Demonstration of Sustainability Certification of Marine Bunker Fuels – 25JUN materialized in the Post-Workshop Diagrams for PHASE1 and PHASE2 :
- PHASE 1 (2025) – Limited use of the Union Database (UDB) complemented by use of paper-based documented evidence (Proof of Compliance – PoC)
- PHASE 2 (2026 onwards) – Use of the UDB as single instrument to demonstrate sustainability certification of the fuels used
Requirements for Shipping companies
- Shipping Companies and Verifiers, in principle, would not be required to be “RED-certified” but rather to hold an account for access to UDB and access transactions directed to specific ships (identified by their unique IMO identifier).
- FuelEU and MRV/ETS do not introduce specific reporting requirements into the UDB.
- Demonstration of RED-certification will however be required for operators to demonstrate eligibility of sustainable fuels under FuelEU and ETS.
Next Steps
- Guidelines for demonstration of sustainability certification of marine bunker fuels in order that all International Certification companies will be able to follow them
- ETS General Guidance is under development
Kind regards
Emmanuel Vergetis
