Splash247: ZERO44 launches carbon insetting tool for FuelEU compliance

Published by Splash247

ZERO44 has launched a Carbon Insetting module that combines FuelEU Maritime compliance management with decisions on whether to sell low-carbon fuel emissions reductions to cargo owners as Scope 3 certificates.

Carbon insetting allows ship operators to pass verified emissions reductions from cleaner fuel use to customers seeking to lower supply-chain emissions. The commercial challenge is avoiding double counting: volumes sold through voluntary insetting cannot also count toward a vessel’s FuelEU compliance target.

ZERO44’s software uses bunker delivery notes and proof-of-sustainability records already collected for compliance reporting. It compares the live value of each fuel volume as either FuelEU surplus or an insetting certificate, using current market prices.

When a volume is allocated to insetting, the system automatically removes it from the vessel’s FuelEU compliance balance. This ensures operators do not overstate surplus available for banking or release when preparing regulatory reports. Data can also be transferred directly to the operator’s chosen carbon insetting registry, reducing duplicate entries.

“Every tonne of low-carbon fuel an operator buys is money that can come back through FuelEU surplus or through insetting, but rarely both at the same value,” said Friederike Hesse, co-founder and managing director of ZERO44. “Our customers can now see, for every bunkering event, which route pays more today and act on it.”

The module is already live with a major global operator that manages its insetting programme through 123Carbon, an independent registry and ZERO44 integration partner.

The launch comes as shipowners face growing pressure to monetise emissions reductions while meeting FuelEU Maritime obligations. For operators using alternative fuels, the ability to compare compliance value with customer demand could turn part of the premium paid for cleaner fuel into an additional revenue stream, provided the underlying reductions are properly verified and kept separate.