Delegates at Riviera’s International Bulk Shipping Conference 2025 came away with powerful insights on using data, design and daring leadership to get ahead.

Smarter ships, better business

Marine Benchmark’s Torbjörn Rydbergh opened with an arresting set of numbers: bulk ships are 30% more carbon-efficient per tonne-mile than they were in 2012. Kamsarmax and Ultramax vessels are doing the heavy lifting, while Capesize tonnage is holding its ground. That is proof that technology, the right management and smart routeing pay measurable dividends. Mr Rydbergh’s takeaway was simple: know your numbers. Real-time tracking now allows operators to monitor their Carbon Intensity Indicator all year round and make course changes long before regulators knock on the door. Such information translates into direct profit.

The fuel race heats up

The message on transition fuels was not doom but discipline. Lloyd’s Register revealed a fifth of all new bulk carriers on order are dual-fuel capable. Nikos Kakalis, who heads the class society’s global bulk carrier segment, was clear, “The orderbook shows where owners are placing their bets.” LNG leads for those backing proven infrastructure, methanol appeals to those who prefer simpler handling and ammonia-ready designs to buy time until safety and bunkering standards catch up. Biofuels are also moving from experiments to everyday use, a handy bridge between today’s engines and tomorrow’s ambitions.

Wind’s benefit is ready

Anemoi Marine Technologies showed data from ships cutting fuel use by 10% on standard routes, not on paper, but in real operations. Its rotor sails are now on 25 ships, with 20 more coming.

At bound4blue, Henning Steffen talked about its eSAIL system, a smart design that folds completely away when not in use, solving the cargo-handling headache. Seven ships already carry them, with a dozen more on order. Both companies have one message: wind works and verified performance data is driving demand from top charterers.

Rules are changing fast

DNV’s Morten Løvstad spelled out what is coming, including electronic ballast water records with coded entries and Brazil’s new biofouling regulations, which demand spotless hulls before entering certain zones. It is not just red tape, he said, adding there is opportunity in staying ahead.

Safety where it matters most

When it comes to safety, few issues matter more than ship-to-ship operations. After several tragic accidents, DynamarinE’s Alexander Glykas, working with INTERCARGO, shared news on a joint project that covers everything from pre-arrival planning to post-operation reports. Adoption will take a few years, but linking the framework with RightShip’s vetting questionnaire gives it the commercial muscle it needs to stick.

An abiding legal loophole

There was also a reality check from Stephenson Harwood’s Haris Zografakis, representing the Comité Maritime International. His message was blunt, “We have laws for oil pollution, but nothing for ammonia or methanol incidents.” That gap leaves owners facing unlimited liability and ports unprepared for alternative fuel emergencies. Until international law catches up, insurers can’t price the risk, and some shipowners are already hitting pause.

Moving from intuition to precision

Digitalisation is delivering what it has long promised: fewer delays and fewer disputes. Veson Nautical’s Sam Chambers showed how centralised systems like Q88 are speeding up port calls and avoiding endless data arguments. Operators using them are turning around documents 40% faster.

Coach Solutions’ Thomas Hechmann argued that commercial success now depends on "precision, not intuition." The companies creating single sources of truth across their fleets are not only improving efficiency but transforming themselves into the only operators sophisticated buyers will consider. He said the market divide between operators who know their vessels’ real-time carbon intensity, port waiting patterns and actual (not theoretical) fuel consumption versus those still guessing is stark.

Turning compliance into advantage

Sustainable Shipping Initiative’s Ellie Besley-Gould summed up the conference mood perfectly. Smart owners do not dread regulation; they monetise it. She cited Klaveness Combination Carriers, which has turned emissions reduction into its business model: 40% lower emissions, 40% lower fuel costs and a reputation that opens doors. Rio Tinto’s designated owners and operators programme shows how charterers and owners can align standards to reduce friction. South32 integrated emissions and chartering data across 80% of shipments, not for ESG credit, but because it eliminates disputes and accelerates decisions. "If we treat the shift to 2030 as compliance, we minimise risk," Ms Besley-Gould observed. "If we build it into business plans, we build opportunities."

Riviera’s coverage of the international bulk market continues in 2026 and will include its popular bulk carrier webinar week. For more information, please email Edwin.lampert@rivieramm.com