Source : https://www.fueltrust.io/

In the world of maritime logistics, fuel represents both a critical operational cost and a growing regulatory concern. Recognizing the opaque and often unreliable nature of the global bunker fuel supply chain, FuelTrust, a Houston-based technology company founded in 2020, set out to bring clarity, traceability, and trust into this complex industry. By combining artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and deep chemical modeling, FuelTrust has developed a platform that delivers unprecedented insight into the quality, origin, emissions impact, and compliance of marine fuel from port to engine.

The need for such innovation stems from a long-standing problem in the maritime sector. The bunker fuel supply chain, valued at over $120 billion annually, suffers from frequent issues such as fuel contamination, fraud, off-specification blending, and a lack of consistent data for emissions reporting. With increasing pressure from regulatory bodies like the IMO (International Maritime Organization) and growing ESG expectations from investors, shipowners face a dual challenge: reduce emissions while maintaining operational reliability and cost control. FuelTrust identified this gap and responded with a suite of solutions designed to ensure verifiable compliance, minimize financial and reputational risk, and support decarbonization strategies across global fleets.

For customers, the pain points FuelTrust addresses are both systemic and urgent. Shipowners and operators frequently lack visibility into the true chemical composition and quality of the fuel they purchase, exposing them to significant operational risk. Fuel contamination and compatibility failures not only damage engines but also cause costly delays and disputes. Furthermore, ship operators are increasingly under pressure to meet tightening regulations and ESG mandates yet they are often forced to rely on fragmented and unverifiable data to demonstrate emissions performance. Fraud in fuel delivery, such as under-quantity deliveries or falsified documentation, continues to drive financial losses across the sector. And while many decarbonization solutions demand costly onboard hardware installations, few digital tools exist to validate or optimize these investments.

FuelTrust was co-founded by Jonathan Arneault (CEO), Darren Shelton (VP), and product leader Steve Youngblood. Arneault, drawing from a deep background in enterprise software with IBM and AOL, brought the leadership needed to scale a complex B2B platform within a conservative industry. Shelton, with over 25 years at Moran Shipping Agencies, contributed unparalleled maritime regulatory and operational insight. Their combined experience shaped a mission focused on building a more transparent and accountable fuel ecosystem.

To achieve this, FuelTrust developed two flagship products: Bunker Insights and Carbon Baseline. Bunker Insights uses blockchain to create a secure and immutable record of fuel transactions, enabling all parties to verify fuel quality, quantity, compatibility, and chain-of-custody across ports and vessels. Its predictive analytics aim to prevent disputes and ensure fuel compatibility before bunkering. Carbon Baseline, powered by the company’s proprietary “Digital Chemist” engine, uses AI to simulate fuel combustion and generate vessel-specific historical emissions profiles. This allows operators to model the impact of scrubber installations, fuel switching, and hull coatings enabling compliance verification without the need for onboard sensors.

The platform’s benefits are extensive. By delivering verifiable, blockchain-backed records, FuelTrust reduces fuel-related disputes and fraud while predictive analytics help avoid engine failures due to fuel incompatibility. Carbon Baseline’s emissions modeling enables regulatory compliance with IMO DCS, CII, and EU ETS reporting, and supports ESG reporting with audit-ready data. One of its most strategic advantages lies in its scalability requiring no additional onboard hardware, making it accessible across a wide range of fleets. Altogether, FuelTrust empowers maritime stakeholders with clarity, risk reduction, and science-backed decision support.

FuelTrust’s early traction includes a partnership with Ridgebury Tankers, where its Carbon Baseline product helped validate the emissions impact of scrubber and silicone hull coating investments across hundreds of voyages. The collaboration allowed Ridgebury to generate regulator-ready reports and optimize procurement strategies without the need for expensive instrumentation. According to Ridgebury executives, FuelTrust’s data quality and credibility significantly improved their decision-making confidence and compliance positioning.

Despite its strong value proposition, FuelTrust still has room for improvement. Expanding integration capabilities with existing vessel management systems and testing labs would unlock broader automation and data enrichment. Geographically, its expansion beyond North America and select Asia-Pacific regions into underserved bunkering markets such as Latin America and West Africa would increase global relevance. Real-time or near-time alerts, especially for compliance violations or emission zone breaches, could add operational immediacy to the platform while simplifying the user interface for less technical stakeholders such as compliance officers or ESG managers could drive wider adoption. Finally, deeper engagement with regulatory bodies or classification societies could position FuelTrust as a standards-setting leader in digital fuel assurance.

Ultimately, FuelTrust is not just a technology provider, it is a strategic enabler of the maritime industry’s digital and environmental transition. By bringing science, transparency, and accountability to the fuel supply chain, FuelTrust is helping shipowners navigate the intersecting challenges of compliance, cost control, and sustainability. As decarbonization becomes a business imperative, platforms like FuelTrust are building the digital backbone for a cleaner, more efficient maritime future.

Citations:

FuelTrust. (2023). FuelTrust: Transparency and Trust in Maritime Fuel Supply Chains. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from https://www.fueltrust.io

FuelTrust. (2023). Leadership – Meet Our Team. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from https://www.fueltrust.io/home/about/leadership/

FuelTrust. (2023). Solutions: Bunker Insights and Carbon Baseline. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from https://www.fueltrust.io/solutions/

F6S. (2023). FuelTrust Company Profile. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from https://www.f6s.com/company/fueltrust#software

LinkedIn. (2023). FuelTrust – Company Profile. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from https://www.linkedin.com/company/fueltrust

Ridgebury Tankers. (2023, February 13). Ridgebury Tankers and FuelTrust Partner to Deliver Verified Carbon Emissions Data. Retrieved from https://ridgeburytankers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/230213-Ridgebury-Tankers-Press-Release-FINAL.pdf

Tracxn. (2024). FuelTrust Company Overview and Funding Information. Retrieved June 30, 2025, from https://tracxn.com/d/companies/fueltrust

Contributor : Dyah Ayuning Tyas

Reviewer : Imam Buchari, David Ratner