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Days of making bunker decisions in isolation are over, says ZeroNorth MD

Nicolai Bendixen, Managing Director of ZeroNorth Bunker tackles fragmentation in bunkering by sharing his view on the strategic direction to make it a fully integrated part of shipping operations.

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Days of making bunker decisions in isolation are over, says ZeroNorth MD

Nicolai Bendixen, Managing Director of ZeroNorth Bunker on Friday (11 July) shared his view on the strategic direction to make bunkering a fully integrated part of shipping operations:

Traditionally, bunker procurement has been treated as a transaction – often disconnected from the operational, commercial, and environmental realities of shipping. But with intensifying regulations and increasingly complex fuel markets, this fragmented approach exposes companies to inefficiencies, rising costs, and compliance risks.

Since his appointment in 2024, Bendixen has led the development of a new strategy focused on transforming bunkering into an integrated, data-driven part of shipping operations – one that connects fuel buying directly to operational performance, commercial strategy, and emissions impact.

“The days of making bunker decisions in isolation are over,” says Bendixen. “We’re operating in an environment where every fuel decision has consequences – for cost, for emissions, and for operational performance.”

A growing challenge for operators

The complexity facing ship operators today is unprecedented. Fuel remains the industry’s single largest operating cost, but pricing is volatile, supplier networks are fragmented, and new regulations are fundamentally reshaping bunkering requirements. At the same time, the industry is under pressure to cut emissions, optimise performance, and manage multiple fuel types – from conventional bunkers to alternatives like LNG, methanol and biofuels.

“These are not isolated decisions,” Bendixen explains. “You can’t separate bunkering from voyage planning, from emissions reporting, or from your commercial strategy. But most of the tools in the market still treat them as separate processes.”

An integrated approach

ZeroNorth is closing this gap by embedding bunkering into its fuel optimisation ecosystem. Through the ZeroNorth platform, bunker procurement, planning, performance data, and emissions management are being connected – enabling operators to make informed, holistic decisions.

“Bunker procurement is part of a bigger operational puzzle,” says Bendixen. “Our role is to give operators the tools to solve it in real time – with data, with automation, and with alignment to both commercial and sustainability goals.”

ZeroNorth’s bunker products have already evolved significantly since the company entered the bunker space in 2022. Following the integration of ClearLynx and Prosmar Bunkering, the company has streamlined digital procurement tools, scaled its electronic Bunker Delivery Note (eBDN) solution across global ports. Over 95% of pricing volume is now automated, helping reduce manual workload and improve pricing accuracy.

Towards autonomous bunker management

Bendixen’s ultimate goal is what ZeroNorth calls “Autonomous Bunker Management.”

“The complexity will only increase,” he says. “More fuel types, more suppliers, more regulations – operators can’t manage that with disconnected systems. We believe the future lies in intelligent, connected environments where procurement, planning, and compliance are automated and aligned.”

This vision involves building AI-driven systems capable of continuously learning from operational data, predicting optimal procurement strategies, and executing transactions with minimal manual intervention. Work is already underway on autonomous planning capabilities, smart claim detection, and enhanced pricing indices designed to support greater transparency and reliability across the bunker market.

Importantly, Bendixen stresses that ZeroNorth’s approach is designed to complement – not replace – existing procurement models. The company provides technology that enables informed decision-making, whether operators manage procurement in-house or through trusted partners.

“Procurement will always involve relationships, but it needs to be underpinned by data, automation, and alignment to operational realities,” Bendixen concludes. “That’s how we move beyond fragmented decisions – and towards a future where fuel procurement helps drive both commercial performance and decarbonisation.”

 

Photo credit: ZeroNorth
Published: 15 July, 2025

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Emissions reporting

StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and UK ETS requirements.

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StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Weather intelligence and decision support solutions provider StormGeo and Hamburg-based technology platform OceanScore on Wednesday (3 June) said they have deepened their ongoing cooperation through the signing of a collaboration agreement during Posidonia 2026 in Athens on 2 June.

The cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements.

Together, the companies aim to help shipping companies seamlessly navigate increasing regulatory complexity more efficiently — from emissions reporting and data validation to compliance exposure management, pooling and financial settlement.

As emissions regulation becomes an increasingly important part of commercial shipping operations, the need for reliable operational data and streamlined compliance processes continues to grow. The cooperation between StormGeo and OceanScore is designed to support shipping companies with more connected, transparent and actionable processes across operational and commercial teams.

“From the outside, companies like StormGeo and OceanScore may sometimes be perceived as competitors because both operate around emissions and compliance workflows,” said Albrecht Grell, Managing Director at OceanScore. 

“But in reality, the industry increasingly needs both perspectives working together: trusted operational emissions data on one side and commercial compliance execution on the other. Our cooperation reflects that shipping companies are no longer looking for isolated solutions — they need connected processes, automated across different systems and reliable decision-making throughout the full compliance chain.”

By connecting validated operational emissions data with commercial compliance management, the cooperation supports workflows across:

  • emissions reporting and validation 
  • compliance management across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements
  • exposure visibility and cost transparency
  • pooling, settlement and financial processes 

The cooperation also aims to improve commercial transparency and coordination across operational and commercial stakeholders.

“StormGeo plays a central role in helping shipping companies turn operational vessel and emissions data into trusted, decision-ready insights,” said Espen Martinsen, Chief Commercial Officer at StormGeo. 

“As emissions regulations become more complex, this data is essential for transparent and efficient compliance management. By working with OceanScore, we can help customers connect StormGeo’s validated operational data with commercial compliance processes, creating a more integrated and practical approach to emissions management.”

The signing ceremony took place at the StormGeo booth during Posidonia 2026 in Athens and was attended by representatives from both companies.

Both companies expect the cooperation to continue evolving alongside upcoming regulatory developments, including FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, the upcoming UK ETS and future emissions-related frameworks affecting global shipping.

 

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 4 June, 2026

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Technology

StormGeo integrates Alfa Laval sensor data with Voyage Intelligence platform

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

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StormGeo launches new premium advisory offering with emission compliance reporting

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

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Bunker Fuel

StormGeo: Smarter voyage decisions can boost payback amid market swings

‘In an environment of fuel price fluctuations, freight market swings, operational disruption and rising emissions costs, voyage planning can no longer remain static,’ says StormGeo’s Rolf Reksten.

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StormGeo: Voyage optimisation falls short without real-time commercial clarity

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

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