FuelEU pooling partnership launched

The collaboration brings together ZERO44’s data-driven compliance platform with Hecla’s flexible surplus trading model, offering shipowners, managers and charterers a single workflow spanning forecasting, planning, pooling execution and compliance monitoring.

The move comes as the first FuelEU reporting cycle concludes, leaving many operators needing to address compliance deficits through pooling mechanisms rather than alternative measures such as biofuel use.

“By combining forward-looking compliance insights with flexible surplus trading, we are enabling companies to make informed decisions and reduce both cost and risk,” said Benjamin Gibson, director at Hecla Emissions Management.

ZERO44’s platform consolidates vessel data, bunker information, verifier reports and charter terms into a unified system, enabling companies to build a clear picture of their compliance position.

Forecasting and scenario modelling tools allow users to assess different strategies, including when it is economically viable to buy or sell surplus. This ‘single source of truth’ approach reflects a broader shift in the sector toward integrated digital compliance systems, similar to offerings from players such as DNV, though often without embedded trading functionality.

Hecla complements this with a pooling model designed to address the operational and contractual complexities of shipping. Its approach allows compliance surplus to be converted into tradable units and, crucially, enables participants to decide which vessels to include in a pool after the verification period. This post-period flexibility contrasts with more rigid traditional pooling structures, where vessels are typically committed for the full compliance year.

The partners say the solution is designed to improve transparency and reduce exposure to counterparty risk, a key concern in pooling arrangements where participants are affected by the emissions performance of others.