FuelEU Maritime compliance is rapidly developing into a commercial management issue for shipowners, with pooling prices and surplus availability changing within weeks. OceanScore has expanded its FuelEU Pooling Marketplace after sharp swings in pooling costs exposed how timing and market access can directly affect compliance spending and operational planning.
The Hamburg-based emissions compliance provider said its OceanScore Pool-Price Index fell to €190 per tonne of CO₂e by mid-April before climbing back above €225 in May. Just six months earlier, prices were above €230, while late trading for 2025 compliance balances briefly pushed the index close to €300. According to OceanScore, those entering the market late faced significantly higher costs.
At the same time, the company reported a sharp increase in active surplus offers on its marketplace, with more than a dozen offers available across varying counterparties, pricing levels and transaction volumes. For shipowners and managers balancing FuelEU deficits and surpluses, the changes illustrate how quickly market conditions can shift as the regulation enters practical commercial use.
OceanScore said the first months of FuelEU implementation have shown that pooling requires more active management than many operators initially expected. Pools have opened and closed within short periods, while growing surplus availability has increased competition among sellers and widened options for buyers.
“Pooling is not just about having a surplus or deficit position,” said Albrecht Grell, Managing Director of OceanScore. “It is about having access to the market at the right time, with the right counterparties and sufficient transparency on pricing.”
In response, OceanScore has upgraded the marketplace with weekly OPX publication, broader offer depth and greater pricing transparency. The company has also expanded self-service functions alongside managed support services covering counterparty matching, KYC procedures and transaction execution.
The platform is intended to connect compliance exposure management directly with settlement and pooling decisions through OceanScore’s Compliance Manager system.
“With increasing volatility and growing surplus availability, access to market data and counterparties is becoming critical,” Grell said. “The upgrades reflect what we see in practice: companies need both transparency and broad market access to manage FuelEU compliance effectively.”
