Trading giant Cargill is teaming up with fish-feed player Skretting and shipowner Eidsvaag to cut emissions in Norway.
Cargill and Skretting will combine their fish-feed shipping operations along the Norwegian coast.
The venture will be called Fjordfrende (Fjordfriend), with the aim of limiting traffic and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Oslo-based Eidsvaag has a fleet of five general cargo, MPP and pallet vessels.
It will be responsible for planning and handling of transport, including ships currently under contract.
"With this cooperation we will increase the utilisation rate of our fleets and significantly reduce our environmental footprint," said Fredrik Witte, managing director of Cargill Aqua Nutrition for the North Sea.
The companies believe it may be possible to reduce fleet capacity, while increasing the utilisation.
This could cut 20% from emissions, equalling 15m to 20m kg of CO2 per year.
But the two sides stressed they will remain fierce competitors.
They have commissioned an independent third party, Tri-Vizor, as a trustee to ensure they continue to operate independently from each other.
Antitrust compliance is crucial, and implies that certain information cannot be shared amongst both parties, they said.
The Tri-Vizor framework will be operated by Eidsvaag.
The companies will continue their cooperation with existing transport companies AquaShip/Artic Shipping and NTS/Rotsund, as well as Eidsvaag.
