Odfjell SE and Nissen Kaiun Co., Ltd establish joint venture for operation of chemical tankers out of Bergen, Norway. Leveraging Odfjell’s worldwide trading platform and Nissen Kaiun’s modern chemical tanker fleet will provide significantly increased flexibility and capacity to the global customer base.

“The new JV, named Odfjell Hakata Maritime AS, marks another chapter in the long-standing partnership between Odfjell and Nissen Kaiun,” says CEO of Odfjell SE, Harald Fotland. “Nissen Kaiun controls a significant fleet of advanced chemical tankers, built to the highest quality and sustainability standards. With their contribution to this joint venture, we further reinforce Odfjell’s position as one of the world’s leading and most energy-efficient chemical tanker operators.”

Odfjell Hakata Maritime AS will initially comprise 10 stainless steel vessels equally contributed by Odfjell and Nissen Kaiun. Nine of the vessels are already operated by Odfjell Tankers under various charter agreements, while the tenth will join the fleet early December. The impact of this initiative and Odfjell’s other fleet renewal projects in 2026 will be a ~12% increase in commercial trading days compared to 2025.

FULLY INTEGRATED
Odfjell’s chartering organization, Odfjell Tankers, will be the commercial manager. The vessels will be fully integrated into Odfjell’s commercial fleet, operating across all major deep-sea trade lanes and global shipping hubs.

“The partnership comes amid growing demand for safe and efficient chemical transportation as we transition to lower-emission operations,” Fotland says. “We are pleased to expand our collaboration with Nissen Kaiun. We share a common goal of reducing the industry’s carbon footprint and Japanese shipyards are frontrunners in terms of quality and energy-saving technology. Together, we now continue on a path that grows our fleet and strengthens our services, while keeping decarbonization at the core.”

Odfjell Hakata Maritime AS will be a Norwegian entity, headquartered in Bergen, Norway, and operational from December 2025.

ABOUT NISSEN KAIUN CO. LTD

• Nissen Kaiun Co., Ltd. is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading shipowners. With a fleet of more than 200 vessels, the company maintains strong partnerships with charterers and shipyards across the globe.
• Headquartered on Hakata Island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, Nissen Kaiun continues to play a pivotal role in advancing Japan’s maritime industry.

 About Odfjell

• The Odfjell Group is one of the leading players in the global market for seaborne transportation and storage of chemicals and other specialty bulk liquids.
•  The Odfjell fleet comprises of approx. 70 ships, which trade both globally and regionally.
• The tank terminal division comprises four tank terminals, strategically located at select international shipping hubs.
• The Odfjell Group’s headquarters are in Bergen, Norway, and the Group has offices in 12 locations around the world.
• Odfjell employs around 2300 staff and posted annual gross revenue of USD 1249 million in 2024.