Gibraltar Merchant Shipping (Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels in Maritime Transport) Regulations 2026.

The Gibraltar Merchant Shipping (Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels in Maritime Transport) Regulations 2026 apply to commercial ships above 5,000 gross tonnage operating to, from, or within Gibraltar, subject to specified exemptions. Their purpose is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from maritime transport by establishing limits on the GHG intensity of energy used on board ships and by promoting the uptake of renewable and low-carbon fuels. The legislation designates the administering authority and the Maritime Administrator for oversight, enforcement, verification and cooperation with competent authorities in other jurisdictions. The Regulations introduce progressively stricter GHG intensity limits for ships from 2025 onwards, expressed as reductions from a reference value of 91.16 gCO₂eq/MJ. They provide a regulatory framework for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs), including monitoring requirements, incentives through favourable accounting treatment until 2033, and the possibility of a mandatory RFNBO sub-target from 2034 if uptake remains below established thresholds. The Regulations also establish obligations relating to onshore power supply, requiring certain containerships and passenger ships to connect to shore-side electricity while berthed from specified future dates, subject to limited exceptions. Detailed methodologies are provided for calculating GHG intensity, accounting for well-to-wake emissions, onshore electricity consumption, wind-assisted propulsion technologies and certified renewable or low-carbon fuels. A monitoring, reporting and verification regime is established requiring companies to prepare monitoring plans, collect operational and emissions data, and submit annual FuelEU reports verified by accredited verifiers. The Regulations create flexibility mechanisms permitting the banking, borrowing and pooling of compliance balances between reporting periods and, in some cases, among multiple ships. Enforcement is supported through financial penalties for non-compliance with GHG intensity limits, RFNBO obligations and onshore power supply requirements, together with the issuance of FuelEU Documents of Compliance and the maintenance of a FuelEU database. Failure to comply may result in fines, detention measures, expulsion orders or refusal of access to Gibraltar ports. The Regulations also require periodic governmental review and publication of data concerning their implementation and environmental impact.