“StormGeo: Digital Solutions Revolutionizing the Maritime Industry”
In April, Norwegian company StormGeo, a subsidiary of Swedish heat exchanger giant Alfa Laval, and the classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish an API (Application Programming Interface) connection. This partnership enables shipping companies to swiftly transfer vessel performance data to ClassNK’s verification platform, streamlining the verification process and accelerating decarbonization in the maritime sector. During his visit to Japan to speak at the jointly organized conference “Pathways to Decarbonization in Shipping: From CII to FuelEU Maritime” on the 26th, StormGeo’s Executive Vice President of Sales, Espen Martinsen, discussed the significance of digitalization and data quality in environmental compliance.
(Text by Hirofumi Yamamoto)
Photo courtesy= Hirofumi Yamamoto
■The Importance of Data Sharing
— Why are vessel data and StormGeo’s solutions so critical for the maritime industry today?
“Decarbonization in the maritime sector has gained significant attention in recent years. From the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) to the EU ETS, and the upcoming implementation of FuelEU Maritime in January 2025, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulations are becoming increasingly stringent.”
“As shipping companies recognize the importance of digitalization and data quality in environmental compliance, StormGeo’s advanced digital tools can help them make practical decisions to reduce emissions. Moreover, accurate data strengthens companies’ efforts to achieve their decarbonization goals.”
— Could you provide more details about StormGeo’s solutions?
“Our solutions are designed to collect data from vessels and process it into high-quality, reliable formats. Traditionally, customers spent considerable time manually organizing and sharing data. By introducing automation via APIs, we ensure data can be shared quickly and accurately.”
“Our system performs over 400 automated checks to detect anomalies in the received data. This guarantees data accuracy, offering customers a dependable platform for their operations.”
■The Japanese Market and StormGeo’s Growth
— What are the characteristics of the Japanese market, and how is StormGeo expanding here?
“In recent years, the Japanese market has become a key growth area for us. With stricter environmental regulations, the importance of data sharing and environmental compliance has grown, driving demand for our solutions.”
“Currently, we support approximately 13,000 vessels globally and about 400 vessels in Japan . Over the past three years, we have seen growth of 15–20%, and our Japan-based team has doubled in size over the last two years. We are actively recruiting more personnel to meet customer needs and enhance our services.”
■EU Regulations and the Role of Digital Solutions
— How is StormGeo responding to recent EU regulations?
“EU regulations have increased the frequency of reporting fuel consumption and emissions data, adding to the operational burden on our customers. What used to be an annual task may now be required more than twice a month.”
“We assist our customers by providing digital tools and offering training and education through our expert staff. This ensures customers can comply with regulations efficiently and effectively.”
■Collaboration with Classification Societies and Data Management
— StormGeo collaborates with ClassNK. Why is working with classification societies so important?
“Our collaboration with ClassNK is critical for our customers. We provide high-quality data to classification societies, helping customers achieve compliance smoothly. We also take great care in managing data. Customer data is only shared with third parties when necessary and is otherwise handled with strict security measures.”
— What are your expectations for the Japanese market in the future?
“The Japanese market is undoubtedly an attractive one for us, with its proactive approach to decarbonization and improving environmental performance. We aim to continue evolving our solutions to meet customer needs in areas such as route optimization, fuel consumption management, and environmental data reporting.”
“We plan to further strengthen our partnerships with ClassNK and shipping companies to deliver comprehensive support tailored to our customers’ requirements.”
■Profile, Espen Martinsen
Executive Vice President of Sales, StormGeo
Espen Martinsen is the Executive Vice President of Sales at StormGeo, a global leader in weather intelligence and decision support solutions.
At StormGeo, Espen oversees global sales operations with a particular focus on shipping and maritime decarbonization. He leads a diverse team of 50 professionals and collaborates closely with clients to drive energy efficiency and reduce emissions across fleets worldwide.
Espen’s primary motivation is to enable shipping companies to transition toward greener operations. He combines innovative technology with industry insights to help clients achieve measurable reductions in their carbon footprint while maintaining operational and financial performance.
〆インタビュー、ストームジオ代表取締役副社長（営業担当）エスペン・マルティンセン氏に聞く。
「ストームジオのデジタルソリューションが海運業界を変える」
スウェーデンの熱交換器大手アルファ・ラバルのグループ会社で、船舶運航最適化サービスを提供するノルウェーのストームジオと日本海事協会（NK）は４月、API（アプリケーション・プログラミング・インターフェース）連携で覚書（MOU）を締結した。この提携により、ストームジオは、海運の脱炭素化をさらに加速させるため、海運会社が船舶のパフォーマンスデータをNKの検証プラットフォームに迅速に転送し、検証プロセスをより効率化できるようなった。26日に両社で開催したカンファレンス「海運の脱炭素化への道：CII（燃費実績格付け制度）からFuelEUマリタイムまで」の講演のために来日したストームジオの代表取締役副社長（営業担当）のエスペン・マルティンセン氏に環境コンプライアンスにおけるデジタル化とデータ品質の重要性について聞いた。（聞き手 山本裕史）
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