Dual-fuel ships face compliance challenge

Managing director, Philippos Ioulianou, has issued a stark warning, saying that owners face regulatory penalties and commercial setbacks when regulations come into effect in January next year.

“Dual-fuel engines offer enormous flexibility, LNG/VLSFO, methanol/MGO, but that flexibility brings complexity,” said Ioulianou.

“Without the right systems and fuel management protocols, owners risk turning a decarbonisation asset into a liability.”

Though dual-fuel configurations allow operators to navigate fuel costs, emissions targets and regional regulations, they come with risks. Fuels like VLSFO degrade quickly without proper monitoring and switching between fuels requires careful execution to avoid compliance failures, engine issues or operational downtime.

FuelEU’s shift from annual to voyage-level emissions tracking raises the stakes significantly. “Decarbonisation is now a daily discipline,” said Ioulianou. “Anyone relying on spreadsheets or best guesses is already falling behind.”

EmissionLink offers live emissions tracking, fuel data integration and auditable reports, which are now increasingly required under charterparty clauses. Improper management is already leading to disputes and expensive de-bunkering operations.

When used effectively, dual-fuel systems can offer benefits, including tradable FuelEU credits and access to green corridor initiatives, but the window to prepare is closing fast.

“The next 12 months will reveal who’s serious about decarbonisation and who’s hoping cleaner fuel alone will be enough,” Ioulianou warned. “Burning cleaner fuel badly is still a failure. And in the current regulatory climate, it’s a risk no one can afford to take.”