日本海事新聞ニュース Japan Maritime Daily Jul 29, 2025 (Tue)

‌【Interview】Mr.Herald, CEO of Odfjell on Zero-emissions Sailing

Odfjell CEO Harald Fotland

　Odfjell, a major Norwegian chemical tanker company, celebrated its 110th anniversary last year. The ・・・ 続きはログインして下さいnext %E3%80%80%3Cb%3EOdfjell%3C%2Fb%3E%2C+a+major+Norwegian+chemical+tanker+company%2C+celebrated+its+110th+anniversary+last+year.+The+company%E2%80%99s+CEO+%28Chief+Executive+Officer%29%2C+Harald+Fotland%2C+also+serves+as+chairman+of+the+Norwegian+Shipowners%E2%80%99+Association.+We+asked+Mr.+Fotland+about+his+outlook+for+the+business+environment+and+his+management+policies.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--What+is+the+business+environment+surrounding+shipping+companies%3F%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CRussia%E2%80%99s+invasion+of+Ukraine%2C+the+growing+tension+in+the+Middle+East+sparked+by+the+clash+between+Israel+and+the+Islamic+organization+Hamas%2C+and+the+problem+of+piracy+off+the+coast+of+Africa+and+in+the+Straits+of+Malacca+are+all+problems+that+are+posing+operational+challenges.+On+top+of+that%2C+US+tariff+policies+have+created+uncertainty.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CIn+order+to+weather+the+increasingly+uncertain+future%2C+we+are+working+to+reduce+interest-bearing+debt+and+strengthen+our+financial+base.+The+balance+of+interest-bearing+debt+has+decreased+by+more+than+40%25+compared+to+the+end+of+2020.+In+addition%2C+in+order+to+stabilize+profits%2C+the+company+is+increasing+the+ratio+of+COA+%28Contract+of+Affreightment%29+with+customers.+Through+these+efforts%2C+we+are+preparing+for+unforeseen+circumstances.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--What+is+your+outlook+for+the+chemical+tanker+market%3F%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CLast+summer%2C+spot+freight+rates+for+chemical+tankers+hit+an+all-time+high.+With+a+limited+supply+of+new+ships%2C+the+risks+of+sailing+through+the+Red+Sea+have+increased%2C+forcing+ships+to+bypass+the+Suez+Canal+and+increasing+transport+distances.+Since+then%2C+spot+freight+rates+have+been+on+a+downward+trend.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CCurrent+spot+freight+rates+remain+40%25+higher+than+the+average+over+the+past+10+years.+The+pace+of+decline+in+freight+rates+has+also+slowed.+Until+the+situation+in+the+Middle+East+calms+down+and+it+becomes+possible+to+pass+through+the+Suez+Canal+again%2C+the+tight+supply+and+demand+situation+for+tonnage+is+likely+to+continue.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--What+impact+will+the+US+tariff+policy+have%3F%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThis+is+one+of+the+reasons+for+the+fall+in+freight+rates.+Traders+buying+and+selling+petrochemical+products+are+being+forced+to+hold+off+on+transactions+as+they+are+uncertain+about+how+much+tariff+will+be+levied+once+their+products+reach+their+destination.+Trade+between+the+US+and+China+has+come+to+a+near+halt.+However%2C+the+impact+of+tariffs+has+already+been+factored+into+the+market%2C+and+we+do+not+expect+freight+rates+to+fall+further.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CMeanwhile%2C+trade+in+chemical+products+is+changing.+Cargo+that+was+being+exported+from+the+US+to+China+is+now+heading+to+India.+Cargo+heading+from+the+Middle+East+to+India+has+been+diverted+to+China.+These+trade+changes+have+caused+some+confusion+on+the+operational+side.+It+is+because+their+transportation+distances+have+increased.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+19+ships+on+order%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--The+company+operates+approximately+70+chemical+tankers.+There+are+many+opportunities+to+use+Japanese+shipowners+and+shipyards.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CWe+have+very+good+relationships+with+Japanese+shipowners.+Currently%2C+the+company+has+approximately+20+vessels+on+time+charter+from+Japanese+shipowners.+In+addition%2C+we+have+chartered+an+additional+19+new+vessels+from+Japanese+shipowners.+The+19+ships+are+scheduled+to+be+in+service+by+2028.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThe+19+ships+will+be+built+by+Asakawa+Shipbuilding%2C+Fukuoka+Shipbuilding%2C+Shin+Kurushima+Dockyard+and+Kitanihon+Shipbuilding.+We+are+very+satisfied+with+the+quality+and+delivery+schedules+of+Japanese+shipyards.+We+would+like+to+continue+this+relationship.+Our+share+of+the+chemical+tanker+order+backlog+is+15+percent%2C+so+we+are+well+positioned.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--What+is+the+position+of+the+tank+terminal+business+that+stores+liquid+chemicals%3F%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CWe+operate+four+terminals+in+Houston+in+the+US%2C+a+chemical+hub%2C+as+well+as+in+Belgium+and+South+Korea.+This+is+part+of+business+diversification.+Marine+transport+is+subject+to+market+fluctuations%2C+but+the+tank+terminal+business+is+similar+to+the+real+estate+segment+and+provides+a+stable+source+of+profits.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--In+April%2C+the+International+Maritime+Organization+%28IMO%29+agreed+on+mid-term+measures+toward+achieving+zero+emissions+in+shipping.+What+are+the+challenges+to+decarbonization%3F%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CInternational+rules+and+regulations+are+essential.+Norwegian+shipowners+are+keen+to+develop+new+solutions+in+areas+such+as+hull+design%2C+propulsion+systems+and+energy-efficient+equipment+to+combat+global+warming.+However%2C+there+is+a+limit+to+what+shipowners+can+do+alone.+Shippers+have+little+financial+capacity+to+pay+additional+freight+for+transportation+services+that+have+a+lower+environmental+impact.+Therefore%2C+international+regulations+have+a+large+role+to+play+in+advancing+industry-wide+decarbonization.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThe+EU+%28European+Union%29+has+adopted+the+EU-ETS+%28Emissions+Trading+System%29+and+the+FuelEU+Maritime+marine+fuel+regulation+and+introduced+a+carbon+tax+in+the+maritime+sector.+However%2C+only+shipping+companies+that+provide+services+calling+at+EU+ports+bear+the+carbon+tax+burden+in+the+system%2C+and+we+cannot+say+it+is+fair.+Regulation+must+be+international.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+Spirit+of+innovation%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--Fuel+switching+is+difficult+for+chemical+tankers+due+to+restrictions+such+as+ship+type.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CEven+if+fuel+switching+is+difficult%2C+there+are+measures+that+can+be+taken+to+reduce+GHG+%28greenhouse+gas%29+emissions.+Through+the+introduction+of+energy-saving+equipment+and+improvements+in+operational+efficiency%2C+the+carbon+intensity+of+our+fleet+has+been+reduced+by+53%25+compared+to+the+2008+IMO+baseline.+We+have+also+set+a+new+target+of+a+57%25+reduction.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CIn+March+of+this+year%2C+the+49%2C000-dwt+chemical+tanker+%E2%80%99BOW+OLYMPUS%E2%80%99+was+fitted+with+a+wind-powered+propulsion+device+called+a+suction+sail.+This+is+the+first+time+that+our+company+has+installed+a+wind+propulsion+device.+Using+a+wind+propulsion+system+and+waste-derived+biodiesel+to+sail+between+Europe+and+North+America%2C+we+were+able+to+show+the+world+that+zero-emission+voyages+are+possible+even+with+current+technology.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80--The+company+celebrated+its+110th+anniversary+in+2024.%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThe+%3Cb%3EOdfjell%3C%2Fb%3E+family+that+founded+our+company+come+from+a+small+town+in+the+southernmost+part+of+Norway.+They+got+interested+in+the+innovation+taking+place+on+the+West+Coast+in+the+shift+from+sailing+ships+to+steam+ships+and+decided+to+move+to+Bergen+and+become+part+of+that+technological+innovation.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThe+%3Cb%3EOdfjell%3C%2Fb%3E+family+saw+a+business+opportunity+in+the+transportation+of+liquid+chemicals+in+the+early+1960s.+They+thought+that+transporting+liquid+chemicals+by+tanker+would+be+more+efficient+than+transporting+them+in+drums.+They+built+the+world%E2%80%99s+first+chemical+tanker.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CRealizing+the+importance+of+stainless+steel+tanks%2C+which+are+easy+to+clean%2C+when+transporting+chemicals%2C+they+developed+the+world%E2%80%99s+first+chemical+tanker+equipped+with+stainless+steel+tanks.+They+also+needed+land-based+storage+facilities+to+connect+land+and+sea%2C+so+they+embarked+on+the+tank+terminal+business+as+well.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThe+founder%E2%80%99s+spirit+of+innovation+continues+with+current+owner+and+chairman%2C+Laurence+W.+%3Cb%3EOdfjell%3C%2Fb%3E.+He+is+a+strong+advocate+of+decarbonization+innovation%2C+including+propulsion+systems%2C+smart+technologies+and+the+adoption+of+wind+propulsion+technology.+I+think+it%E2%80%99s+similar+to+the+attitude+of+his+father+%28Dan+%3Cb%3EOdfjell%3C%2Fb%3E%29+in+the+1960s+and+1970s.%E2%80%9C%3Cbr%3E%28Published+from+time+to+time%29%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDisclaimer%3A+The+English+translations+provided+through+this+service+are+the+result+of+translations+made+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+or+automatically+and+mechanically+translated+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+using+an+automated+translation+system+provided+by+a+third+party+after+certain+processing+of+the+Japanese+content+licensed+by+the+third+party.+In+terms+of+the+English+translation%2C+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+and+MarineNet+Co.%2C+Ltd.+make+no+warranty+or+burden+of+any+kind%2C+express+or+implied%2C+including+its+accuracy%2C+reliability%2C+validity+or+fitness+for+a+particular+purpose.+MarineNet+Users+should+fully+understand+that+this+service+uses+an+automated+translation+system+that+automatically+and+mechanically+recognizes+and+analyzes+information+and+produces+results.+The+users+should+understand+the+above+conditions+before+using+this+service.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E5%85%8D%E8%B2%AC%E4%BA%8B%E9%A0%85%EF%BC%9A%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E4%BB%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%9C%E6%88%90%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%81%8B%E3%80%81%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%B1%E8%AB%BE%E3%82%92%E5%8F%97%E3%81%91%E3%81%9F%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%83%84%E3%82%92%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%9A%E3%81%AE%E5%87%A6%E7%90%86%E3%82%92%E8%A1%8C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8C%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%83%BB%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%80%81%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E5%BD%93%E8%A9%B2%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%80%81%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%A3%E7%A2%BA%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E4%BF%A1%E9%A0%BC%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E5%A6%A5%E5%BD%93%E6%80%A7%E5%8F%8A%E3%81%B3%E7%89%B9%E5%AE%9A%E7%9B%AE%E7%9A%84%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E9%81%A9%E5%90%88%E6%80%A7%E3%82%92%E5%90%AB%E3%82%81%E3%80%81%E6%98%8E%E7%A4%BA%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E9%BB%99%E7%A4%BA%E3%81%AB%E3%82%82%E3%80%81%E3%81%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B%E4%BF%9D%E8%A8%BC%E3%82%82%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%80%82%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%8C%E3%80%81%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%A4%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E6%83%85%E5%A0%B1%E3%82%92%E8%AA%8D%E8%AD%98%E3%83%BB%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%82%92%E5%87%BA%E5%8A%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%82%92%E5%8D%81%E5%88%86%E3%81%AB%E7%90%86%E8%A7%A3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%82%82%E3%81%AE%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%3Cbr%3E

【Global Lens】【ノルウェー船社の経営戦略】(1)オドフェルCEO　ハラルド・フォトランド氏、ゼロエミ航海、世界に示す

2025/07/29(火)

日本海事新聞 JMD

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