ZeroNorth — the vessel optimisation company spun off from Maersk Tankers — is acquiring US online bunker market platform ClearLynx in a move aimed at integrating data analytics across the ship routing, operating and fuelling sectors.
Adding ClearLynx will provide shipowners and operators with an integrated end-to-end solution for the cost and environmentally efficient optimisation of bunker fuel from initial enquiry through to supply, ZeroNorth said.
Founded in 2014 as a neutral bunker transaction platform, ClearLynx has developed procurement, pricing and analytics, business intelligence and compliance software.
At its launch in Denmark in June 2020, as a spin-off from Maersk Tankers, ZeroNorth had 300 vessels running its Optimise software, formerly known as SimBunker.
Chief executive Soren Meyer said ZeroNorth now has 2,600 vessels on its platform, with ClearLynx adding 30 customers and 25% to its revenue streams.
Last year, ZeroNorth added 25,000 ship-fuel consumption models to its systems by taking over Propulsion Dynamics. It has also teamed up with Veson Nautical's commercial freight and fleet management platform and added bunker group Monjasa's market data from 700 ports.
Meyer told TradeWinds: "With ClearLynx we are adding the next component of optimisation: the where, when and how much are you bunkering, because there is so much data around that goes into your decisions about which way you are sailing the vessels and what is the most optimal route and speed and use of fuel.
"This acquisition means we are linking across not only the industry silos but also the individual stakeholders within companies. Optimisation is tightly connected because if you take a decision at one point, it affects another, but [other] software solutions are not integrated.
"By acquiring ClearLynx, we really get a connected platform."
Meyer said the acquisition provides expansion for ZeroNorth into US markets, and it will follow up by opening an office in Singapore this year.
In December, ZeroNorth added Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) analytics to forecast the behaviour of vessels for its future rating.
"We are telling you before you start on your voyage what is the impact on your CII rating of your route and speed. And we will do the same for bunkering," Meyer said.
"It is not reporting for emissions that is important, but simulating and predicting the impact of decisions before they are made."
ZeroNorth does not believe in dashboards, but actionable insights, he added.
Bringing more vessel and bunkering data to the platform will also benefit as shipping makes the transition to alternative fuels, Meyer said, with the platform being able to learn from and predict the effects of using greener fuels as they come to the market.
The pricing model, which equates to about 10% of fuel savings for customers, has not changed.
Meyer, who was OW Bunker’s vice president before joining Maersk Tankers in 2015, said a future aim could be to integrate chartering and port utilisation elements into the platform. Cargill is a minority shareholder in ZeroNorth.
