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KPI Bridge Oil: Sulphur scenarios

London: This week KPI Bridge Oil, a global broker and trader in marine bunkers and lubricants, appointed Carsten Ladekjær as its new ceo.
Ladekjær is an industry veteran with 20 years in the bunker business. He joins the KPI Bridge Oil Group from previous positions as svp and ceo of a number of other top bunker companies.
As ceo, he tells this site his goals include achieving continued financial growth as well as offering practical, innovative and competitive solutions in the maritime fuel and lubricant fields.
When quizzed on the hot topic of LNG as a ship fuel Ladekjær is not rushing to join the herd.
“In my view it will take quite a while before LNG becomes a significant portion of the marine energy sector,” he says, adding: “However, the process is ongoing and I do not foresee it going back into reverse.”
Owners are awaiting the supply side to invest heavily in supply infrastructure and facilities before they go ahead with their investments in ships using LNG for their propulsion, he reckons. The supply side, he says, is to a large extent doing the same namely waiting for ship owners to order LNG consuming ships before making investments from their side.
As to the new sulphur regulations coming into force at the start of next year, Ladekjær says he is “fairly confident” that the industry will be able to adapt and cope with the challenges that it presents in the long term.
Nevertheless, there will be a number of companies, both on the supply and buying side, who will be caught by surprise to some extent, he suggests.
Some of the big questions still to be answered, he reckons, are whether the supply side of the industry will be able to cope with demand, what will the actual impact on the prices be, and to what extent will the new regulations be enforced.
“I guess only time will tell,” the new ceo concludes. [07/08/14]

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