Steam & steel
1890
Captain Berent Daniel Olsen moves to Bergen with his family to become part of modern shipping: steam and steel.
What started as a Norwegian family business with one vessel, is now a publicly listed company and a world-leading logistics service provider for chemicals and other specialty bulk liquids. The chemicals and liquids Odfjell ships carry and our terminals store are vital building blocks for a wide range of everyday products.
Steam & steel
Captain Berent Daniel Olsen moves to Bergen with his family to become part of modern shipping: steam and steel.
AS DS Birk
17 November: First Odfjell ship owning company is formally registered, AS DS Birk
AS Rederi Odfjell
The Odfjell brothers, Fredrik and Abraham Odfjell, incorporate AS Rederiet Odfjell
First tanker SS Vaarli
Odfjell makes a brief entry into the tanker trade with the SS Vaarli, rebuilt as a tanker
Re-entry
Odfjell makes a small re-entry into the tanker trade with the newbuilding MT Lind
World War II
World War II: Odfjell fleet is split. Three ships in home waters and four on high seas. Home fleet suffers devastating losses
Bow prefix
Bow is used as the name prefix on an Odfjell vessel for the first time
Small specialized tankers
Most Odfjell ships are dry cargo line vessels, but small specialized tankers become increasingly important
World’s first stainless tanker
Delivery of the world’s first stainless tanker, MT Lind, built at the Stord yard in Norway.
Minde Chartering
Dan Odfjell establishes Minde Chartering, Odfjell’s own marketing organization
First tank terminal
The first Odfjell tank terminal opens: TAGSA in Buenos Aires
Split and grow
The business is split into two parts: AS Rederiet Odfjell for shipping, and Odfjell Drilling for offshore oil exploration.
This happened the same year as the opening of the new Odfjell headquarters at Minde, Bergen.
First Polish Tankers
Delivery of the first 12 Polish built chemical tankers.
Later, in 1999, the second Poland class is delivered; four small stainless chemical tankers.
Between 2003-2007, the third Poland class is delivered; eight stainless chemical tankers
The Company is split
The Company is split into two independent parts, one for each branch of the family
OWL Tankers
Cooperation with Westfal-Larsen is strenghtened through the establishment of
OWL Tankers
Odfjell Terminals Houston (OTH)
Opening of Baytank in Houston, later named Odfjell Terminals Houston (OTH)
Oslo Stock Exchange
Storli – original company name – is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange
Filipino crew
Filipino crew start being employed on our ships
NCC partnership
NCC of Saudi Arabia replaces Westfal-Larsen as our main chemical tanker partner
Vopak Terminal Ningbo
Acquisition of minority share in the Vopak Terminal Ningbo
Fleet Renewal and Terminal Expansion
Delivery of first of 16 new state-of-the-art stainless chemical tankers; the Kværner series
Establishment of Odfjell Terminals Dalian (OTD)
Odfjell name
Company name is changed from Storli to Odfjell
Growing business
Venture into the iso-container business.
Odfjell buys 50% of Flumar
Merger, partnerships & aquisitions
A merge of Odfjell Tankers and Seachem makes the company the premier deep-sea chemical tanker operator in terms of overall carrying capacity.
Through the decade, Odfjell becomes a partner in several terminals, in the Netherlands, Singapore, Iran, China and Oman. As part of a restructuring process, Odfjell exited from these terminals and OTD between 2016 and 2020.
The Botlek terminal in Rotterdam is acquired and renamed Odfjell Terminals (Rotterdam)
Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals (Singapore)
Odfjell Terminals becomes a partner in Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals (Singapore)
Odfjell Terminals Korea
Odfjell becomes a partner in Odfjell Terminals Korea, located in Ulsan
Odfjell Academy
Odfjell Academy training center established in Subic, Zambales, Philippines.
Fleet Asia
Fleet Asia is established, including ship management of selected vessels in Singapore
Partnerships
Odfjell Terminals becomes a partner in Exir Chemical Terminal (PJSCO), Iran, and Odfjell Terminals (Jiangjin), China
Partnership and financial milestone
Odfjell Terminals becomes a partner in Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals (Oman).
The same year gross revenue exceed USD 1 billion for the first time
Odfjell Philippines and Flumar
Odfjell Philippines, Inc. is established and Odfjell becomes 100% owners of Flumar
Carbon Disclosure Project
Odfjell commits to the Carbon Disclosure Project
Construction and restructuring
Construction of a new terminal in Charleston, USA, starts. Odfjell imports Flumar Brasil to Brazil and starts the restructuring of the Flumar fleet
Joint venture & UNGC
Lindsay Goldberg (LG) becomes joint venture partner for the terminals business.
The same year, Odfjell becomes a signatory of the UN Global Compact (UNGC)
Gas Re-entry and Terminal Expansion
Re-entry into the gas segment: Odfjell Gas Carriers is established (exit in 2021)
Construction of Odfjell Nangang Terminals (Tianjin) in China, and Odfjell Terminals becomes a partner in Noord Natie Terminals in Antwerp, Belgium
Compliant Partner and Pioneer
Delivery of the world’s largest chemical tanker, Bow Pioneer.
Odfjell Terminals becomes a partner in Quanzhou (Fujian), China.
Odfjell becomes a member of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN)
Celebrating a centure in good company
Celebrating 100-year anniversary.
Opening of Odfjell Terminals (Charleston), USA
Odfjell partners with affiliates of Breakwater Capital and Oak Hill Advisors to form a liquefied petroleum gas and ethylene (LPG/E) shipping joint venture.
Odfjell Gas enters into pool agreement with Lauritzen Kosan
Fleet Upgrades and Strategic Realignment
Odfjell starts upgrading propulsion system for 19 vessels to optimize energy efficiency.
Odfjell Academy’s training facilities are transferred to the Manila office.
Odfjell exits European regional trade
Divestment and Record Newbuildings
Odfjell sells share of Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals & Co. LLC in Oman.
Newbuilding contracts are signed with China Shipbuilding Trading CO., Ltd. and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) CT., Ltd. for construction of a series of 4+2+2 54,600 cbm chemical tankers – the world’s largest stainless steel chemical tankers.
Strategy Launch and Fleet Renewal
A new company strategy is launched, the Odfjell Compass. Initiation of the biggest fleet renewal program in the company’s history.
Ship Management services is consolidated in Bergen, and Odfjell partners with Thome Ship Management in Singapore for the management of its regional Asia fleet
Pooling and Portfolio Streamlining
Pool agreements are entered with Chemical Transportation Group (Chempool25) and Sinochem (Chempool40)
Odfjell sells indirect ownership share in Exir Chemical Terminal and its 50%
ownership share in Oiltanking Odfjell Terminal Singapore Pte Ltd
Portfolio Optimization and first CCO
Odfjell sells its ownership share in the Rotterdam terminal
Odfjell appoints its first Chief Operations Officer
Odfjell SE takes a stronger role in Terminals by establishing Odfjell Terminals as a 100% controlled holding company
Partnerships, Deliveries and Sustainability
LG exits and Northleaf Capital Partner becomes new joint venture partner for Odfjell Terminals US
Delivery of the world’s four largest stainless steel chemical tankers, the Hudong class
Odfjell SE sells its ownership share of terminal in Jiangyin, China
Odfjell signs the UNGC Sustainable Ocean Principles and becomes a member of the Getting to Zero Coalition
Climate Ambitions and Terminal Expansion
Odfjell sets ambitious climate targets and appoints first Chief Sustainability Officer
Odfjell Terminals increases ownership of Korea terminal to 50%
Sustainable Financing and Strategics
Successful placement of shipping’s first Sustainability-Linked Bond
Odfjell SE exits the gas carrier segment
2021 marked an important shift in Odfjell’s strategy when it decided to focus exclusively on deep-sea shipping by exiting the short-sea trade in Asia
Selling shares
Odfjell Terminals exits China with the sale of share in Odfjell Terminals Jiangjin
Terminals expasion
Odfjell Terminals Houston adds Bay 13 with nine new tanks, while Noord Natie Odfjell Antwerp Terminal commissions the 36,000 m³ Tankpit-U.
Financial milestone
Odfjell delivers the strongest financial results in company history, with a net result of USD 278 million and record dividends to shareholders.
Innovation, Growth and New Ventures
Odfjell became the first tanker company to install suction sails (bound4blue eSAIL®) on a deep-sea chemical tanker Bow Olympus.
Odfjell’s Noord Natie Antwerp Terminal capacity passes 500,000 m³ with the completion of Tankpit-R and Tankpit-Q, a 46% increase since 2017.
Odfjell enters a join venture with Nissen, with the establishment of Odfjell Hakata
