Weather intelligence and decision support solutions provider StormGeo on Monday (1 June) said the company is expanding its Voyage Intelligence platform by integrating sensor data from shipboard energy consumers to deliver real-time insights for enhanced technical performance under a partnership with its parent Alfa Laval.

The joint project marked a significant advance in digitalisation of shipboard equipment through automated collection of engine and hull data and integration into a wider digital ecosystem to give a clearer overview and better understanding of vessel performance.

StormGeo and Alfa Laval are combining their resources to provide hardware installation, data collection and analysis, performance advice and client support as part of a unique, all-inclusive delivery from a single company.  

StormGeo’s VP Shipping Petter Andersen, said: “The goal is to provide a comprehensive, integrated solution for shipping companies to simplify data collection and harvest more value by using actionable insights from sensor data to enable faster and better-informed voyage decision-making.”

Enhanced data-driven insight into vessel performance represents an enabler for operational efficiencies and fuel savings to boost sustainability through more effective decisions, with AI-driven analytics seen as a tool to support rather than replace human judgment to maintain the focus on safety as top priority.

“Ship operators need actionable insights, not just data. Continuous real-time monitoring helps transform sensor and performance data into smarter operational decisions,” Andersen said.

Alfa Laval, a supplier of ship equipment and specialist in real-time monitoring, is taking advantage of recent advances in onboard connectivity to apply its expertise in sensor data collection to shipping through the tie-up with StormGeo, a global provider of weather intelligence and smart digital solutions for voyage optimization.

Enhancing voyage efficiency is seen as the primary use case for sensor data in the short term, with the initial focus mainly on fuel consumption, according to Andersen.

Real-time data increases visibility of hull and main/auxiliary engine performance to inform proactive efficiency measures such as hull cleaning or engine tuning, while also providing a basis for long-term analysis and benchmarking at both individual ship and fleet level.

“The innovative element of this integration is that we are assimilating equipment sensor data with an array of datasets covering weather, route optimization, voyage planning and navigation, emissions reporting, and bunker planning and procurement accessible via a unified user interface. This gives a more holistic overview for operational decisions,” according to Andersen.

StormGeo is the sole contracting party for the integrated solution, while accessing resources and technology from Alfa Laval’s global network. The company now sees the opportunity for future application of sensor data to a wide range of operational, safety, commercial and environmental use cases in maritime, in partnership with third-party data providers.

In particular, Andersen highlighted the potential for automation of noon reporting based on streaming of fuel consumption data to replace time-consuming manual processes – such as email and fax – for meeting SOLAS and other reporting requirements. A further possible application is condition-based monitoring of equipment for proactive maintenance.

This is part of Alfa Laval’s broader strategy to expand sensor data collection across multiple ship systems to realize an Internet of Things (IoT) onboard as part of its cloud-based ALIoT platform, in line with the trend towards increased connectivity in shipping and smarter vessel operations.

Alfa Laval’s Head of Vessel Operations, Jesper Boman, said: “There’s a lot of potential to further digitalize, giving operators real-time insights that help them make better decisions, reduce risk, improve reliability, and avoid unnecessary costs.

“At the same time, implementing and using digital tools needs to be done with robust cybersecurity measures in place. Aligned with the international standards, to keep our maritime assets safe.”

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 2 June, 2026

Higher bunker prices. Trade route disruption. Soaring freight rates. 

The impact of the Middle East war on global shipping has again demonstrated how geopolitical shocks can drastically affect operational planning – and why navigating market volatility is essential to optimize the commercial efficiency of voyages, according to StormGeo on Thursday (28 May). 

“Operators have to expect the unexpected and be agile in their thinking,” said StormGeo’s Commercial Lead Routing Rolf Reksten.

“In an environment of fuel price fluctuations, freight market swings, operational disruption and rising emissions costs, voyage planning can no longer remain static.

“Operational decisions – from routing and speed to arrival timing – must increasingly respond to constantly changing economic conditions, in the same way that shipping must adapt to more extreme weather patterns caused by climate change,” he explained.

Accelerating cyclicality

Shipping markets have always experienced cycles, but these are becoming more frequent and volatile, driven by geopolitical effects, macroeconomic factors, energy market shifts, supply and demand, evolving regulation and critical stockpiles in key countries.

Optimization is no longer solely determined by speed and fuel efficiency, but by diverse factors that are reshaping voyage economics – and this makes operational decision-making more complex than ever.

“Rather than sailing smoothly from the Persian Gulf to India or China with crude, you may have to pick up the cargo from West Africa, Brazil or the US Gulf. Voyages are longer, the need for optimization is greater, and you have to relate execution much more to market volatility than before,” Reksten said.

The commercial outcome of a voyage is affected by the interplay of different economic variables – from fuel price volatility, rapidly moving freight markets and regulatory shifts that impact carbon costs to delays and trade disruption caused by port congestion, weather or regional conflict that can result in both direct costs and missed opportunities.

Fuel price effect

Given fuel is the largest cost variable of a voyage, bunker price hikes can significantly affect profitability without consideration of the wider commercial picture, and this requires a dynamic approach to decision-making to capture value across the voyage cycle.

Operators may lose value or increase risk if decisions are made without updated economic insight based on changing market conditions.

A case in point is the recent Strait of Hormuz crisis that fuelled higher tanker rates and a spike in bunker prices, which is estimated by lobby group Transport & Environment to have cost shipping companies an additional €340 million a day in fossil fuel bills.

Among the challenges for shipping companies are planning voyages without considering fuel price shifts, making speed decisions that do not account for port congestion or schedule changes, and having limited visibility into emissions cost exposure.

And this demands constant economic awareness with real-time data insights of the different variables to facilitate a shift from static to adaptive voyage planning to avoid leaving value on the table, according to Reksten.

‘Keeping an eye on markets’

“If you don’t have an eye on the markets and you’re purely focused on the route, this can undermine the commercial outcome of the voyage. You may need to reassess during the voyage whether to adjust speed, ETA or bunker strategy to execute in the most optimal way in relation to your commercial goals,” he said.

The need for a more dynamic approach to voyage planning is driving industry adoption of AI-driven voyage intelligence – integrating real-time data for ocean and weather conditions, vessel performance, market insights and emissions monitoring – to deliver predictive analytics supported by human expertise to inform adaptive decision-making, according to Reksten.

This enables operators to evaluate multiple scenarios and adapt according to changing conditions to safeguard voyage margins even in volatile markets, such as by capturing opportunities in a rising freight market.

“How you execute the current voyage can be tied to what your next employment will be. If the market is rising steeply, you want to sail as quickly as possible to discharge and offer your ship into the market at a higher price point,” Reksten explained.

Single source of truth

By combining operational, economic and sustainability data, voyage intelligence fully integrates commercial awareness into the planning process. Furthermore, it provides a single source of truth with visibility across company departments to allow better coordination between different teams, avoiding possible blind spots in decision-making.

“A typical voyage entails interaction between a lot of different moving parts – and this requires alignment of KPIs across commercial and operations teams that can be difficult in a fast-paced environment,” Reksten said.

Voyage intelligence allows decision-making to be informed by both operational expertise and evolving economic realities – such as metocean conditions, fuel prices, charter party requirements, freight market conditions, emissions and compliance obligations – to enable adaptive voyage management aligned with a shifting environment.

Managing uncertainty

This means shipping companies can manage uncertainty more effectively to provide better costs control in fluctuating fuel markets, freight market visibility, reduced risk of delays, improved schedule reliability, lower emissions and compliance risk – and stronger commercial margins.

“Profitability is the ultimate driver of decisions in shipping – and this is strongly impacted by market volatility. But companies able to quickly respond to changing conditions can turn volatility into competitive advantage,” Reksten concluded.

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 29 May, 2026

Ofiniti, the digital platform for maritime fuel operations, on Thursday (28 May) said it has acquired Teqplay, a maritime intelligence company whose digital twins of vessel and cargo movements are used by global shipping companies and agents as well as leading ports and terminals. 

The acquisition extends Ofiniti’s role from execution and documentation into real-time operational intelligence, providing a unified operational picture of a bunker operation. 

Ofiniti handles scheduling, operational coordination and digital documentation for all marine fuels across the world’s major bunkering hubs. The platform processed more than 25,000 bunker operations in 2025, including 500,000 metric tonnes of alternative fuels, a volume expected to increase tenfold in 2026. In Singapore, the world’s largest digital bunkering market, Ofiniti holds approximately 40% market share.

Founded in Rotterdam in 2015 by Léon Gommans and Richard van Klaveren, Teqplay operates maritime digital twins built on real-time AIS, weather, and port data, tracking vessels and cargo movements across 490 ports in 90 countries. Its Port Reporter tool provides accurate, independent timestamps of every vessel’s movement through a port, and is used by port authorities, terminals, and shipping lines to benchmark performance and reduce waste. 

Integrated into Ofiniti, this layer adds real-time vessel visibility, port-call analytics, and benchmarking to every fuel delivery the platform records, with AI-driven decision support surfacing recommendations directly in operator workflows and Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectors enabling customer systems and AI agents to query Ofiniti data in real time.

Léon Gommans will join Ofiniti as SVP Partnerships and Richard van Klaveren as Director of Product & Data, bringing the technical and commercial expertise that has shaped Teqplay over the past decade into Ofiniti’s broader platform.

Tue Nielsen, CEO of Ofiniti, said: “Growing up in the industry, I have always found it fascinating how the maritime industry has been able to execute at scale. Yet, I believe it still lacks a more complete and connected operational view. There are still blind spots that have led to longer waiting times, more frequent disputes, and higher emissions.

“What Teqplay brings is that missing visibility, through live vessel movement, connected to operational workflows, and improving visibility.

“Allowing our customers to adapt to a new way of working, through operational decision support, across the rest of the bunkering operation so that suppliers, traders, and port authorities will have a full picture of every step of the bunkering process, from port call to fuel delivery. 

“With AI surfacing we are quickly learning the next best action and MCP connectors plugging that intelligence directly into our customers’ own systems. We are making that operational picture usable in the moment, not just visible after the fact. In other words, we will try to make bunkering make sense.”

Léon Gommans, SVP Partnerships at Ofiniti and Co-Founder of Teqplay, said: “The merger with Ofiniti significantly expands that capability, combining Teqplay’s intelligence layer with Ofiniti’s strong position in bunker operations across many of the world’s leading bunker suppliers and ports. 

“Our existing customers gain access to a much broader operational platform across maritime operations, while Ofiniti’s customers benefit from a level of operational intelligence and transparency the bunkering industry has not previously had.”

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 29 May, 2026