Gasum has signed a FuelEU Maritime pooling and bio-LNG agreement with Elenger, the fuel provider for Tallink Group's vessels, enabling the passenger vessel MyStar to generate compliance surplus for Gasum's pool.

Under the agreement, Gasum supplies liquefied biomethane (bio-LNG) from its Pori terminal to Elenger, which then provides the fuel to MyStar. The vessel's use of bio-LNG generates compliance credits that contribute to Gasum's FuelEU Maritime pool, which helps shipping companies meet the European Union regulation's greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements.

Tallink Group operates 11 passenger and cargo vessels on routes between Estonia, Finland, and Sweden.

Jacob Granqvist, vice president, maritime, at Gasum, said: "We are very happy to welcome Tallink MyStar into the Gasum FuelEU Maritime pool as a compliance generator. Because of this agreement with Elenger and Tallink, we are able to strengthen our FuelEU Maritime pool with yet another vessel, expanding our ability to support our customers in need of compliance."

Margus Kaasik, chief executive of Elenger Grupp, noted: "Tallink is setting an example for other operators in the Baltic Sea. Tallink was one of the first to invest in new technology and began using LNG as early as 2017. Elenger has supported them throughout this journey providing and bunkering LNG to the vessels, and we are happy to help take the next step now toward renewable bio-LNG."

Paavo Nõgene, chief executive of Tallink Grupp, stated: "Our goal is to fully replace the LNG needs of both shuttle vessels, MyStar and Megastar, with liquefied biomethane within the next year. This means that both our passenger and freight customers can reduce their environmental impact by choosing to travel with Tallink."

The FuelEU Maritime regulation establishes increasingly stringent requirements for the carbon intensity of energy used by ships operating in and out of EU ports, encouraging the adoption of cleaner fuels. The regulation compels shipping companies to transition away from traditional fossil fuels towards lower emission energy sources such as LNG and bio-LNG.

Pooling allows multiple vessels or companies to collectively meet the FuelEU Maritime requirements by balancing the fuel use of vessels that cannot utilise LNG or bio-LNG with vessels that can.

Gasum has recently started publishing the daily price of its compliance units per tonne of CO2 emitted on its website. According to the company, as a bio-LNG producer and buyer, Gasum can guarantee the availability of low emission fuel to the pool and acts as a singular contractual partner that takes full responsibility for the compliance of all pooled vessels.