World News
Shipping Must Embrace Adaptive Voyage Planning Amid Market Volatility: StormGeo
Shipping must shift from static voyage planning to adaptive decision-making as geopolitical tensions and market volatility continue to reshape global trade, according to voyage optimisation firm StormGeo.
The recent Middle East conflict highlighted how disruptions such as rising bunker prices, freight rate swings and trade route changes can rapidly affect voyage economics, it said in an email update on Thursday.
“Operators have to expect the unexpected and be agile in their thinking,” Rolf Reksten, Commercial Lead Routing at StormGeo, said.
“Operational decisions – from routing and speed to arrival timing – must increasingly respond to constantly changing economic conditions, in the same way that shipping must adapt to more extreme weather patterns caused by climate change,” he explained.
The company noted that shifting crude oil trade flows away from the Persian Gulf towards regions such as West Africa, Brazil and the US Gulf are increasing voyage distances and making optimisation more critical.
According to StormGeo, AI-driven voyage intelligence platforms that combine real-time weather, vessel performance, market, and emissions data are becoming increasingly important for commercial optimisation.
The company said these systems allow operators to reassess routing, speed, ETA and bunkering strategies during voyages as market conditions change.
“How you execute the current voyage can be tied to what your next employment will be,” Reksten said.
StormGeo added that integrating operational and commercial data into a single platform can help shipping companies improve coordination between departments, reduce compliance risk and strengthen voyage profitability in volatile markets.
Key Bunker Prices More
| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 865.50 | 8.50 | 1289.50 | 14.50 |
| Rotterdam | 686.50 | 12.00 | 1390.00 | 40.00 |
| Houston | 740.50 | 7.50 | 1388.00 | 1.50 |
| Fujairah | 963.50 | 12.50 | 1666.50 | 19.50 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 876.00 | 6.00 | 1520.50 | 13.50 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 814.00 | 10.00 | 1433.50 | 18.00 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 935.00 | 3.00 | 1594.00 | 14.00 |
Poll
Earlier this year there were concerns over a bunker supply squeeze as a result of Hormuz disruption. With no off-ramp in sight and conflict spreading across the Middle East, should buyers and suppliers be worried again?
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