For those who attended the petrochemical conferences in Texas and Nor-Shipping in Oslo recently, it was as if we were nearly back to the “old normal” of unmuted, unmasked networking. The teams of Odfjell’ers onsite attended numerous meetings and sessions with new and known partners and peers.
Nor-Shipping gathers the broad international maritime industry for a week of exhibits, conferences and social happenings. Having been planned and postponed several times during the pandemic, the massive Oslo event finally ‘ditched the digital’ and opened its doors in the first week of April.
Around 18,000 visitors gathered for the event, among them a team from Ship Management, having busy days of meetings with suppliers and yards.
“We focused especially on meeting drydock yards where we are customers or prospective customers. Significant opportunities were identified and follow-up work on these will continue,” Global Head of Ship Management, Torger Trige, and VP Fleet Management Knut Erik Fredriksen summarized. “We also met with key stakeholders such as Lloyds Register, Framo, Jotun, Wilhelmsen, and many more. Meeting our suppliers face to face to address challenges and plan for a better future is invaluable.”
Manager Drydock Yoana Léon Valdivia added:
"It is invaluable – and very time and cost-efficient – to meet so many yards at the same place. It was also interesting to learn how the worldwide situation is affecting all the yards (positively and negatively), f.ex. the change of preferences from China to other countries, and supply problems due to Covid and the Ukrainian war."
ESG, with a special weight on the E, dominated the exhibition and conference program. Decarbonization, green fuels, regulations, carbon tax and just about all other climate-related issues were addressed and discussed. CSO Øistein Jensen contributed to several panels and keynotes, among them YoungShip, BlueTalks and the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
"I believe almost all presentations and panels at Nor-Shipping touched upon sustainability and the transition of shipping – and it is great to see that Odfjell is widely recognized for our work on sustainability and decarbonization."
Global Head of Tank Terminals, Adrian Lenning, discussed port efficiency at the Brazil@Nor-Shipping scene, while Senior Ship Broker and WISTA Norway President Siri Sundal Shield hosted the diversity-focused ‘Waves of Change’ session at the Norwegian Maritime Authority’s scene.
Summing it all up, one conclusion stands out: collaboration is key, whether it's navigating a troubled geopolitical situation, operating efficiently, taking care of our people, and meeting the targets for decarbonization, diversity, and digitization.
Late March, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) gathered hundreds of companies from the petrochemical industry in San Antonio, while The World Petrochemical Conference commenced in Houston. Both events attract many Odfjell customers, and a team from Tankers and Terminals in Houston and Bergen headed to Texas for active days of meetings and hospitality with, among others; Lotte, MEGlobal, Ineos, Tricon and Chevron.
"Customers are genuinely looking to engage with Odfjell, and we got very positive feedback on our operational and commercial services. It is safe to say that the sessions overall, and the Odfjell hosted reception, was a great success.
Discussion wise, the geopolitical situation was naturally addressed together with general market forecasts and supply/demand. In addition, the energy crisis and the path to net zero were echoed in every session, and all major corporations have plans to significantly cut emissions."
Global Head of Tanker Trading, Bjørn Hammer
For the past years, the full-day board meetings for Odfjell Terminals US have been held on Teams. During this period, both the board and the Odfjell Terminals’ team in Bergen have grown with several new members, so it was a very welcomed occasion when the Americans, Canadians, Dutch and Norwegians headed for snowy Geilo for teambuilding and board meeting. Geilo is one of Norway’s most popular winter destinations, so naturally the skiing had to be tested – for some, for the very first time.
