Maritime technology company Ofiniti on Tuesday (22 September) said it has agreed to acquire the eBDN solution from ZeroNorth and will, on completion, bring its technology and customers onto Ofiniti’s Bunker Operating System.

The transaction marks the latest step in Ofiniti’s rapid expansion since becoming an independent company in 2024. Through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth, Ofiniti is bringing together technology, capabilities and customers that have historically been spread across separate solutions.

The acquisition further strengthens Ofiniti’s position as it builds the Bunker Operating System connecting supply, demand and infrastructure across the bunkering ecosystem.

The transaction will, on completion, bring ZeroNorth’s eBDN solution and customers into Ofiniti’s digital delivery, while ensuring continuity for existing customers.

For ZeroNorth, the transaction is a deliberate portfolio decision, as the company concentrates its investment in bunkering on the parts most closely connected to core shipping operations – procurement, pricing and planning.

Søren Andersen, CEO of ZeroNorth, said: “eBDN has an important role to play in the continued digitalization of fuel operations, and we are proud of what we have built. We believe Ofiniti is well placed to take eBDN forward and continue developing it for the industry. 

“ZeroNorth will continue to invest in bunkering, focusing on the areas where we can create the greatest impact for the industry – connecting fuel decisions more closely with voyage and vessel operations, while increasingly applying agentic AI across the voyage.”

BTS Pte Ltd – the legal entity and license holder behind ZeroNorth’s eBDN solution – is Ofiniti’s third acquisition, following Singapore-based Angsana Technology and Dutch maritime technology company Teqplay, as Ofiniti continues to bring complementary capabilities together within its Bunker Operating System.

Tue Raguse, CEO of Ofiniti, said: “Bunkering has been built around fragmented systems, data and ways of working, and we see a huge opportunity to change that.”

“We are deliberately building Ofiniti to connect supply, demand and infrastructure in one ecosystem. That means growing organically, but also bringing together strong businesses and technology where that can create better solutions for customers and a more connected industry.”

Since its spin-out from DNV in September 2024, Ofiniti has grown to serve more than 200 customers globally and has processed more than 50,000 bunker operations to date.

Singapore has been central to Ofiniti’s growth and will play an increasingly important role in the company’s next phase.

Ofiniti today holds a significant share of Singapore’s digital bunkering market and is increasing its multimillion-dollar investment into technology, talent and presence in the country as it continues to expand internationally.

“We are here to invest, contribute and build for the long term. Our ambition is to continue strengthening our capabilities in Singapore and use what we learn here to help connect bunkering operations across markets around the world,” said Raguse.

Related: Ofiniti acquires Singapore-based Angsana Technology to advance digital bunkering solutions
Related: Ofiniti acquires Teqplay in push towards end-to-end bunkering visibility

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 23 September, 2026

BetterSea, provider of a FuelEU compliance platform and marketplace, and GTT Marine, a business unit of the GTT Group, on Monday (21 September) announced a white-label integration partnership to accelerate FuelEU Maritime compliance for shipping companies.

Under the partnership, GTT Marine will integrate BetterSea’s platform into its own Vesper Insights platform offering, enabling GTT Marine customers and platform users to execute FuelEU trading and pooling end-to-end, directly from the Vesper Insights platform. 

Through this white-label integration, customers will gain access to BetterSea’s full FuelEU infrastructure, including marketplace access, simulation tools, pooling and post-trade workflows, as well as streamlined Thetis reporting capabilities, all within the Vesper Insights environment. 

This creates a uniquely aligned offering for customers seeking a single, trusted route to FuelEU compliance and execution.

As FuelEU Maritime moves into operational reality, shipping companies need more than visibility into compliance exposure. They need the ability to assess options, execute transactions, and complete workflows reliably and at scale. 

The BetterSea-GTT Marine partnership addresses that need by combining BetterSea’s execution-ready FuelEU platform with GTT Marine’s strong position in vessel performance and maritime innovation.

Through the BetterSea-GTT Marine partnership, customers will gain:

• access to FuelEU trading and pooling execution directly within GTT Marine Vesper Insights platform
• access to BetterSea’s FuelEU marketplace
• simulation tools to compare compliance pathways across different regulations and evaluate cost exposure
• pooling and post-trade workflows supported by standardized legal and financial structures
• pool tracking and Thetis reporting capabilities to support the full FuelEU execution process
• fully streamlined and connected route to end-to-end FuelEU compliance

Maximilian Schroer, Co-CEO, BetterSea, said: “This partnership with GTT Marine marks an important step in our mission to make FuelEU compliance and pooling easier to access and execute, while underlining BetterSea’s position as the market leading FuelEU marketplace. 

“By embedding our platform into GTT Marine Vesper Insights offering, we are giving customers a seamless and efficient path from compliance understanding to full trading and pooling execution, all within an environment they already know and use.”

Christian Treu, VP Revenue, GTT Marine, said: “At GTT Marine, we are committed to equipping our customers with practical and high-value solutions for the decarbonisation transition. 

“Through this partnership with BetterSea, we can offer our users direct access to a complete FuelEU execution framework, from simulation to trading, pooling, and reporting, directly via our platform.” 

Photo credit: GTT Marine
Published: 22 September, 2026

Representatives across the marine fuels supply chain consisting of Singapore bunker supplier Hong Lam Marine, shipowner and operator Ocean Network Express (ONE), bunker buyer Seascale Energy and mass flow meter (MFM) conformity assessment body Metcore International met at APPEC 2026 on Thursday (10 September) to examine the digitisation of bunkering.

The panel Addressing the Transition into Digital Bunker in APAC moderated by Saunak Rai, Member Marine Fuels Committee, Singapore Shipping Association, agreed bunkering’s digitalisation is not merely a paper-to-screen swap and must deliver transparency and trust.

They concluded technology is pivotal, but human relationships and judgement remain indispensable.

The following points were raised by panel members during discussion:

Caroline Yang, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Lam Marine, believed digitalisation in bunkering is a fundamental transformation, not merely a “paper-to-screen” shift.

She highlighted Singapore’s mandatory MFM system as a benchmark for success, noting its seven-year development – involving industry collaboration and strict enforcement – established a trusted, independent method for quantity measurement that levelled the playing field.

Building on the above, she explained electronic bunker delivery notes (eBDNs) extend this trust to documentation by ensuring authenticity, verification, and auditability.

She credited the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) for extensive industry consultation, emphasising success relies on stringent platform approval criteria, particularly regarding cybersecurity and controlled stakeholder access.

Addressing the commercial impact, Ms Yang clarified digitalisation does not directly increase revenue for bunker craft operators; in fact, it initially raised costs due to verification and testing requirements.

However, digitalisation significantly enhanced operational efficiency, saving approximately 2 to 3 hours per bunkering operation and reducing quantity disputes. She advocated for a “digital corridor” between ports to improve interoperability.

Looking ahead, Ms Yang predicted paper BDNs will be obsolete in Singapore within 36 months, though emphasising manual soundings must remain as a necessary fallback.

Richard Ho, Vice President, Fuel, ONE, emphasised the “GIGO” (Garbage In, Garbage Out) principle, asserting the value of digitalisation depended entirely on data integrity and robust regulatory frameworks.

Managing high volumes of bunkering transactions annually, Mr Ho pointed out ONE relies on established internal verification processes for bunker purchases. While he views eBDNs as a valuable, authoritative source for transparency, he notes the transition requires careful validation before automated verification can replace human checks.

Mr Ho highlighted the modern marine fuel market has been increasingly complex due to the introduction of new bunker fuel types, geopolitical instability, and port congestion.

Consequently, he argued that while digital tools enhance efficiency and enable potential auto-payment systems, bunker buyers must still actively balance leveraging scale with maintaining flexible, resilient supply partnerships.

Ultimately, he believed technology should support, rather than replace, the critical human oversight required to manage bunker fuel procurements effectively.

Kasper Sorensen, Head of Marine Fuels Sourcing, East, Seascale Energy, represents a major marine fuel procurement consolidator for more than 50 shipowners/operators.

He championed transparency, noting Singapore’s policed MFM system remains the global gold standard. To replicate this success, he helped launch a voluntary framework in Rotterdam, arguing that buyer-side consolidation is essential to match the consolidated seller market and drive best practices.

Mr Sorensen pointed out recent geopolitical instability has fundamentally shifted industry priorities from bunker prices alone to supply security and resilience.

He advocated for the “three R’s” – Risk, Resilience, and Relationships – as the framework for navigating modern challenges.

“We might buy bunkers for more than 3,000 vessels, but the most important ship is friendship,” he stated.

Moving forward, Mr Sorensen believed while digital tools are vital, true strength lies in collaborative partnerships, which are proven and solidified only when crises occur.

Daryl Lim, Quality Manager, Metcore International, provided the technical perspective on bunkering digitalisation, drawing on his experience in legal metrology and conformity assessment of marine fuel measurement systems.

He highlighted that MFM technology forms the foundation for generating reliable, traceable, and independently verifiable measurement data. While eBDNs create an efficient pathway for transmitting information among stakeholders, Mr Lim noted that data consistency, standardisation, and governance remain key areas requiring continued industry focus.

He emphasised that confidence in digitalisation depends not only on the accuracy of the measurement system, but also on the integrity and traceability of data throughout the entire digital value chain. Consistent data structures, verification mechanisms, and secure governance frameworks are therefore essential to maintaining trust among stakeholders.

Furthermore, he noted that interoperability between digital platforms will be critical to enabling seamless data exchange, reducing operational risks, and supporting a more transparent and verifiable bunkering ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Mr Lim expects the industry to progressively transition towards greater automation in validation and verification processes, supported by trusted measurement technologies, standardised digital frameworks, and robust conformity assessment practices.

Photo credit: S&P Global
Published: 14 September 2026