Swedish sustainable solutions provider Alfa Laval has signed an agreement to acquire BunkerMetric, a Scandinavian software company that develops advanced decision support tools for marine bunker vessels.
According to Alfa Laval, the acquisition is part of the strategy to expand its digital marine service offering.
It will be part of StormGeo, a provider of weather intelligence software and decision support services, that Alfa Laval acquired in 2021.
The closing of the acquisition is expected during Q3 2022.
Denmark-headquartered BunkerMetric supports ship operators in finding the bunker procurement plan and improving voyage margins by using algorithms.
The optimisation tools, together with StormGeo’s route services, will enable ship owners to streamline operations to help them improve their bottom line, Alpha Laval says.
It will support decisions when purchasing bunkers, such as the selection of ports, volumes, and fuel grades for bunkering. As explained, global shipping companies can use it to minimise costs while taking relevant operational, commercial, and environmental factors into account
BunkerMetric’s procurement optimisation tool will become a subscription service within StormGeo’s existing offering.
“BunkerMetric will be a valuable complement to our expanding portfolio of solutions built upon advanced digital technologies”, said Sameer Kalra, president of the Marine Division at Alfa Laval. “This acquisition will strengthen our ability to support our customers in voyage routing and operational decision making, thereby helping them improve their vessels’ operational costs.”
The decision to acquire BunkerMetrics comes as Alfa Laval continues to expand its services and business portfolio.
Earlier this week, the company completed the acquisition of Belgium-based Desmet, a supplier of processing plants and technologies for edible oils and biofuel sectors to strengthen its position in the renewable energy sector and complement its offering within the edible oils market.
About two months ago, a patented technology that generates hydrogen from ammonia was also added to the company’s list in an effort to facilitate the use of renewable fuels in the future.
