Norway

New Greenhouse Gas Requirements for Offshore Service Vessels

Published:

Fujidudez P006 Dy Do IY4 unsplash

On 12 May 2026, a new regulation imposing a duty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from offshore service vessels was introduced in Norway through the "Regulation of requirement relating to greenhouse gas intensity for vessels used in relation to petroleum activities" (the "Regulation"). The duty is imposed on operators of petroleum activities, not at the vessel owner, but is directed at the wider offshore fleet. The Regulation provides for a separate Norwegian emission reduction regime for offshore service vessels, which will be in addition to FuelEU Maritime.  

1. The Scope of the Regulation
The Regulation is issued pursuant to the Norwegian act on pollution and applies to all petroleum activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The operator of petroleum activities under a license is required to gradually reduce the greenhouse gas intensity for vessels used in the following activities:

  • Transport of supplies, materials, personnel and equipment
  • Installation, operation and decommissioning activities, including anchor handling, towing and pipe and cable laying, and
  • Tasks relating to emergency response around installations. 
     

The Regulation targets petroleum activities during the exploitation phase, including installation, operation and decommissioning. Notably, the Regulation excludes vessels that carry out activities on behalf of the operator for a cumulative period of less than 30 days during a compliance period (of three years). 

2. The Obligation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The operator is required to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity from vessels used in relation to petroleum activity, starting from 2029. The reduction requirement applies to the fleet of vessels used by the operator, and not on each single vessel. The reduction is to be achieved during three-year periods as follows:

  • 10 % during the period 1 January 2029 to 31 December 2031
  • 15 % during the period 1 January 2032 to 31 December 2034
  • 20 % during the period 1 January 2035 to 31 December 2037
  • 40 % during the period 1 January 2038 to 31 December 2040. 
     

The reduction in greenhouse gas intensity will be measured against a benchmark value of 91,16 grams CO2-equivalents per MJ. The Regulation contains a specified methodology for the calculation of the reduction as well as detailed instructions for how the calculation is to be conducted for different energy carriers, including biofuel, renewable fuel derived from non-biological sources and low-carbon hydrogen. The calculations for some of the energy carriers (including renewable fuel derived from non-biological sources and low-carbon hydrogen) are closely linked to the EU Renewable Energy Directive and related EU regulations.   

The Regulation allows an operator to cooperate with other operators in fulfilling the reduction requirements, thereby facilitating the transfer of surplus reductions between operators. 

3. Reporting Requirements and Failure to Comply
The operator is required to submit an annual overview of total usage of energy carriers per vessel. In addition, at the end of each three-year period referred to in section 3 above, the operator shall submit a report to the Norwegian Environment Agency documenting compliance with the reduction requirements. The report is to be verified in accordance with the requirements in the Fuel EU regulations (Regulation 2023/1805 and 2025/192).

The Norwegian Environment Agency may decide that under- or over- performance by an operator of the reduction requirement shall be carried forward against the reduction requirement to the following compliance period. In addition, the Norwegian Environment Agency may impose fines for breach of the Regulation.

Do you have any questions?