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Rainmaking to accelerate inter-industry innovation platform to decarbonise shipping

The industry doesn’t want to decarbonise just to be compliant. We recognise the biggest threat is climate change […] and we want to be proactive, said Director.
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International corporate innovation and venture development firm Rainmaking on Monday (11 January) said it is seeking to accelerate its cross-industry, open innovation platform to tackle maritime decarbonisation and supply chain resilience in 2021.

Rainmaking Transport’s open innovation platform, first set up in Singapore in early 2020, seeks to foster accelerated collaboration between major industry players such as Vale Shipping and various technology startups to develop innovative solutions that can be adopted to facilitate maritime decarbonisation.

The platform has now run virtually allowing for global collaboration despite lockdowns. In 2020 alone, Rainmaking was able to scan over 4,000 startups within the spaces of Decarbonisation and Resilience.

One key challenge Rainmaking seeks to tackle in 2021 is to bring more actors together, getting customers and the industry decision-makers to view problems from the same perspective and work toward common goals.

“While in the early part of 2020, the world was focused on overcoming the immediate health threats of COVID-19, as the year wore on, this ‘black swan’ event highlighted the vulnerabilities of global business systems and supply chains. The importance of Rainmaking’s mission to tackle these challenges has become ever more apparent,” said Tarun Mehrotra, Director, Trade & Transport at Rainmaking.

“New regulation and changes to the maritime industry are often reaction-driven. Facing climate change is among the first instances where the industry is coming together to get ahead of the curve

“The industry doesn’t simply want to just decarbonise to meet a regulatory law or regulatory driver. We recognise the biggest threat the world faces is climate change. We want to be proactive.”

“Rainmaking has been an essential partner in augmenting Vale Shipping`s innovation pipeline. Thanks to both the Decarb and Supply Chain Resilience tracks, we have been engaging several start-ups with promising results, not only in decarbonisation, but also operational safety and other areas of interest,” added Guilherme Brega, Head of Vale Shipping.

“Digitalisation is the foundation of decarbonisation – with every byte of data used to make better decisions, we move a little bit closer to that ultimate outcome,” noted Matt Heider, CEO of Nautilus Labs, an innovative startup involved in Rainmaking’s Decarbonisation program.

“As we enter 2021 and the post-COVID era, greenhouse gas reductions continue to come to the forefront for every stakeholder, and digital transformation is the only way we’ll fully achieve them.”

Rainmaking said it is confident that its open innovation platform will serve as a conduit to industry-wide collaboration and cross-company co-operation in 2021.

Related: Wilhelmsen joins program by Rainmaking to drive decarbonisation in shipping
Related: Rainmaking selects startups to nurture towards decarbonisation of shipping 


Photo credit: Rainmaking
Published: 13 January, 2021

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Biofuel

China: Chimbusco completes first bonded B24 bunkering operation in Shenzhen

Chimbusco Marine Bunker (Shenzhen) completed the operation after supplying 1,300 mt of B24 marine biofuel oil for “Xin Chi Wan” vessel, at Shekou Container Terminal.
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July 8, 2026

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China: Chimbusco completes first bonded B24 bunkering operation in Shenzhen

Zhuhai Chimbusco Petroleum Co Ltd (Chimbusco Zhuhai), a subsidiary of China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) (Chimbusco), on Monday (6 July) said the company completed its first bunkering operation since receiving its local licence in Shenzhen. 

Chimbusco Marine Bunker (Shenzhen) completed the operation after supplying 1,300 metric tonnes (mt) of B24 marine biofuel oil for the Xin Chi Wan vessel, owned by COSCO Shipping Group, at the Shekou Container Terminal in Shenzhen.

The operation adopted the “cross-customs direct supply bunkering” model with the cooperation of Shenzhen and Gongbei Customs and maritime authorities.

Looking ahead, Chimbusco Marine Bunker (Shenzhen) said it will build on its local licensing and policy advantages to expand its bonded marine fuel bunkering business in Shenzhen.

The company plans to optimise its bunkering processes and improve service quality to help strengthen the city’s bonded marine fuel supply capabilities while supporting the shipping industry’s green transition.

 

Photo credit: Zhuhai Chimbusco Petroleum
Published: 8 July, 2026

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Sanctions

US reinstates Iran oil sanctions, orders wind-down by 17 July

US has revoked a licence permitting the purchase of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products and petroleum products, with the restrictions taking effect immediately.
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The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday (7 July) revoked a licence that had temporarily authorised transactions involving crude oil, petrochemical products and petroleum products of Iranian origin.

Under the new licence, the purchase of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products and petroleum products is prohibited with immediate effect.

The latest licence replaces an authorisation issued on 22 June, which had been scheduled to remain in force until 21 August. The previous authorisation permitted the bunkering of vessels engaged in the approved transactions.

Parties that entered into contracts for Iranian oil during the period in which the authorisation was in effect have until 17 July to wind down Iran-related transactions.

 

Photo credit: Zbynek Burival on Unsplash
Published: 8 July, 2026

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Legal

Russian court orders marine fuel supplier Transbunker assets transferred to state

A Moscow court has reportedly ordered the transfer of assets belonging to Russian marine fuel supplier Transbunker to state ownership.
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July 8, 2026

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A Moscow court has reportedly ordered the transfer of assets belonging to Russian marine fuel supplier Transbunker to state ownership.

This comes following a lawsuit alleging the company was illegally controlled through offshore corporate structures, according to The Moscow Times. 

The ruling grants the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office’s claims in full and takes immediate effect. Prosecutors argued that Transbunker, one of Russia’s largest marine fuel suppliers, was subject to restrictions on foreign ownership because the companies within the group qualify as strategic enterprises. 

The case targets Transbunker founders Iosif Sandler and Sergei Pugachev, both Cypriot citizens, along with Transbunker Management CEO Yelena Zavyalova. 

Prosecutors alleged the founders concealed control of the group through offshore entities in jurisdictions including Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands, while transferring profits abroad. Authorities claim RUB 19.3 billion (USD 247 million) has been moved out of Russia since 2020.

Founded in 1991, Transbunker has developed a nationwide marine fuel supply network serving Russian ports in the Baltic, Black Sea and Far East. The group owns fuel terminals in Novorossiysk, Vanino, Sakhalin and the Leningrad region, among other assets.

 

Photo credit: Egor Filin on Unsplash
Published: 8 July, 2026

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