Meet our expert: Kari Haugen

“My team is responsible for the procurement of conventional fuels, and alternative fuels such as biofuels, LNG and methanol. In addition to procurement, my team is responsible for tender processes, contract management, bunker planning and execution,” says Kari.

The Energy Sourcing team ensures that our ships receive the fuel they need at the right time and place to avoid delays, while also optimizing purchase to achieve the best possible price. The team ensures that all fuel supplied complies with regulatory requirements and meets strict quality standards. Poor fuel quality can lead to onboard issues, engine malfunctions, equipment damage, and costly repairs.

Kari’s team also plays a central role in sourcing the low carbon fuels we need to meet our commitment to reach our customers’ and our own decarbonization targets.

“Using alternative fuels with lower carbon content is key for reaching our decarbonization targets. The transition to alternative fuels not only reduces our carbon footprint but also enables us to fulfill our commitments to customers seeking lower CO2 emissions when transporting their cargo," says Kari.

In 2025, the EUKOR and WWO fleet purchased a total of 1.26 million metric tonnes of fuel. LNG accounted for 30,000 metric tonnes, representing 2.5% of the total fuel mix, while B30 biofuel totaled 222,000 metric tonnes, corresponding to 17.6%. In terms of cost, last years’ total fuel cost was USD 700 million – however, total cost depends on oil and energy price fluctuations, market conditions and our fuel mix.

Until about a decade ago, the fuel landscape was quite simple, with two main grades of fuel with worldwide availability, Marine Gasoil (MGO) and High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO). Regulatory changes and emerging green fuels have made energy sourcing increasingly complex, as the various fuel grades have different market dynamics, pricing mechanisms, availably locations and technical specifications.

“Our fuel mix today consists of HSFO, Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), Low Sulphur Gas Oil (LSGO), BIOFUELS, LNG, BIO-LNG. Soon Methanol will enter the fuel mix as well when our first Shaper vessel is delivered later this year. In the future Ethanol and Ammonia may also become part of the fuel mix.”

In addition to focusing on the sourcing of methanol to our Shaper Class vessels, Kari and her team expect an increase in the use of biofuels and bio-LNG in the coming year.

Altogether, about 30% of our total fuel consumption is expected to come from some type of alternative fuel. This shift represents a significant increase in complexity compared to just a few years ago, particularly given that in 2022, our operations relied entirely on conventional fuels.

“The transition to alternative fuels not only reduces our carbon footprint but also enables us to fulfill our commitments to customers seeking lower CO2 emissions when transporting their cargo,” says Kari.

Recently, we signed a contract with Equinor, for supply of green Methanol to our Shaper vessels in the coming years. This contract brings several advantages.

“The methanol supply agreement with Equinor will ensure that we can use low carbon mass-balanced bio-methanol, which will be delivered to our vessels in Antwerp and Zeebrugge. This will be key for offering our pilot net-zero end-to-end service to selected customers, while at the same time contributing to our overall emissions reductions. This will also be a positive signal to the industry that we plan to use methanol moving forward and will provide some certainty to suppliers who are working on developing the infrastructure. In parallel, we are exploring opportunities for methanol supply in Asia.”

In addition to the deal with Equinor, the Energy Sourcing team are continuing to explore other fuel types, such as ethanol and ammonia.

“Ethanol could be used in our Shaper vessels, as long as the fuel is produced in a sustainable manner. Ammonia is a fuel that could be used in vessels in the future, and it is an option that we explore in alignment with the Newbuilding team. Using fuels with lower carbon content is key for reaching our decarbonization targets -in addition to the work done by our energy efficiency team. In addition, use of fuels with lower carbon content contributes to emissions reductions towards customers on our Reduced Carbon Service,” says Kari.