New Torvald Klaveness chief executive Ernst Meyer believes there is a better way of doing business to boost fleet efficiency.
The former DNV executive has taken over the Norwegian owner and operator with a mission to make the global supply chain work better for all stakeholders.
“Maritime supply chains today are highly inefficient. We have long legs with big vessels burning tonnes of fuel to carry water,” he told TradeWinds.
One reason for this inefficiency is that the dynamic between brokers, charterers and owners is “very short-term”, Meyer argues.
“You see the next voyage. There is very little strategic collaboration and coordination to create a market which is much more efficient,” he said.
“It’s possible to do that. We have access to so much data, we know so much more today than we did just a few years back. Our idea is to try to create value on that.”
Klaveness refers to “market-managing” — ie, creating new opportunities — rather than “market-making”, which it sees as just taking the deal that is in front of you for the highest rate.
That leads to a very spot-orientated system, Meyer believes.
He is interested in creating new ways of thinking.
“Maybe on your next voyage, you should not be so good, because your second and third will be much greater,” he said.
Meyer pointed out that the industry is eight years from the point at which the economic life of a new ship will stretch beyond the 2050 cut-off for zero-carbon operations.
“You risk having a fleet that is not tradable,” he warned.
He believes it is essential not to waste resources such as fuel, time or money by underusing fleets.
