ODFJELL

Regulation from bodies such as the International Maritime Organization( IMO) and the European Union increasingly targets greenhouse gas emissions. Compliance is not just a legal obligation; it is a cost issue and a licence-to-operate issue.“ If we are not able to follow these trajectories, it will be expensive,” Øistein says. He stresses that decarbonisation and climate change mitigation are core to the company’ s long-term competitiveness. Shipping occupies a paradoxical place in the climate debate. There are currently no scalable alternatives to internal combustion engines for deep-sea transport across oceans.“ Shipping is a part of the solution, but also part of the problem,” Øistein notes.

How Odfjell tackles emissions today Odfjell’ s decarbonisation strategy rests on three main pillars: operations, technology and fuels. On the operational side, the company focuses on how vessels are run day to day. Speed management, hull cleaning frequency, time of arrival and general voyage planning all affect fuel use.“ Speed optimisation is an important area,” Øistein says. Running ships marginally slower and more predictably can cut fuel burn without compromising service. Better planning around port calls can also reduce time spent idling and emitting at anchor.

The second pillar is technical efficiency, centred on what the company calls energy-saving devices. These are pieces of equipment and design improvements retrofitted to vessels to reduce resistance and improve propulsion.

TITLE: CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER

COMPANY: ODFJELL

Øistein became CSO in August 2020, and has been part of the Executive Management team since 2016. In 2021 he was elected as a board member and in 2025 Chair of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network( MACN).

56 May 2026