ZeroNorth, the voyage optimisation software company spun-off from Maersk Tankers at the beginning of this year, has announced that it has attracted new investment from Cargill, as part of a deal which will see Cargill commit its entire operated fleet to using the Optimise application.
The addition of the Cargill fleet to the customer base will increase the number of vessels using the software to just under 1,000, the company said.
“By using the quantitative data approach on vessel performance, Cargill’s customers will benefit from reduced CO2 emissions and bunker consumption,” said Jan Dieleman, Business Leader for Cargill Ocean Transportation.
“Reducing CO2 emissions through improved vessel performance is a critical part of our business and we recognise the value of collaboration with fellow industry leaders to achieve this. By partnering with ZeroNorth, we will combine Cargill’s experience in chartering and trading with ZeroNorth’s expertise in software engineering.”
ZeroNorth announced in June that it was looking for a new investor alongside Maersk Tankers to grow and develop the company as a significant player in the global tanker and dry bulk market. Cargill had already been a customer since 2019, testing the Optimise software on part of its chartered fleet.
“By having Cargill onboard as a large-scale customer and investor we are taking yet another step towards digitalising the tramp shipping industry to make a positive impact on the climate,” said Soren Meyer, CEO at ZeroNorth.
“We are excited to have Cargill and Maersk Tankers, two industry leaders, as both owners and customers of ZeroNorth. They share our commitment to leading the industry to a more sustainable future and we will harness their insight to deliver value for our customers, and for the industry as a whole.”
The agreement is subject to anti-trust review and approval.
