23 October - 24 October
Hilton Rotterdam Hotel
We are living in a time of flux, and the global shipping and bunker industries are having to respond to geopolitical challenges, market volatility, tightening environmental regulation, technological innovation, and a widening marine fuel pool – all whilst trying to maintain a competitive edge.
Aracon25 Programme
At ARACON 2025, the discussions will be focused on the importance of making the right choices so that the bunker sector can adapt efficiently and effectively to new and upcoming commercial, operational and regulatory imperatives and mandates. By being fully informed about market dynamics and pressures, marine fuel companies can prepare themselves for business headwinds, as well as future opportunities.
Speakers in Rotterdam will look at the key factors driving the industry globally – and, of course, within the ARA region. Each element of the marine fuel supply chain will be examined closely to see how it is adapting to change – whether it be the demands of the energy transition, the requirement for more transparency in business practices, and the need for greater financial liquidity and stronger risk management in an industry where costs are set to rise exponentially.
Programme details are updated regularly and are subject to change as new speakers are confirmed and themes developed.
If you feel you could make a significant contribution to the programme, please email Lesley Bankes-Hughes at [email protected] or call +44 1295 814455 to discuss this further.
Welcome Coffee
This session will look at how shipping is adapting to a new and more complicated regulatory environment in Europe, and how the bunker industry is stepping up to the mark in terms of supporting compliance.
ARACON will also be one of the first major conferences to assess the outcomes of the meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee in mid-October. The IMO’s proposed Net Zero Framework is complicated and speakers will offer their verdict on the shape of a global GHG regulation for shipping after the all-important vote at IMO HQ.
Speakers will discuss compliance mechanisms such as pooling, book and claim, mass balance transfer, carbon credit banking, market-based measures, as well as the prospects for future harmonisation of global, EU and other regional regulations. The contractual ramifications of these regulations will also be addressed.
Welcome to ARACON 2025
Moderator:
Lesley Bankes-Hughes, Managing Director, ship.energy
Regulation as the Energy Transition Driver
Jacob Granqvist, Vice President, Maritime, Gasum
The IMO’s proposed Net Zero Framework
Gunnar Kjeldsen, Biofuels Technical & Development Manager, Bunker Holding
EU ETS
Trine Braathen, Director, Environmental Trading, Blue Energy Partners
Cherry Almeida, Partner, Caland Advocaten
Managing Director
ship.energy
Lesley Bankes-Hughes is a highly experienced editor, news journalist and features writer. After a number of years as business editor of Jane’s Defence Weekly, she worked for the International Stock Exchange and Euromoney Publications. She also established a specialist newsletter covering European corporate mergers and acquisitions, and later spent several years at Christ Church, University of Oxford, with responsibility for developing educational outreach projects.
Vice President Maritime
Gasum
Since Jacob went to sea as an apprentice the focus has always been on learning the ropes of the shipping industry. Today with nearly 30 years of experience both onboard and ashore in the maritime industry, a professional sailing career later and with a Master Mariner and a Master in Maritime Law degree; Jacob ’s philosophy remains the same. By knowing something by heart you can generate visions and push the envelope to new horizons.
Today Jacob is heading the Gasum Maritime business with a clear vision of taking the bunker industry to the next level where the environment and the customers are in focus. Gasum is spearheading the LNG and biogas market in Northern Europe and currently they are setting up a closed commercial pools to facilitate the upcoming compliance demand under the FuelEU Maritime regulation.
Biofuels Development Manager
Bunker Holding
Gunnar Kjeldsen began his working career in DNV Petroleum Services where he spent 16 years in different key positions. His last position in DNV Petroleum Services was Regional Manager for the Middle East and Africa.
Since 2014, Gunnar has been with Bureau Veritas’ Marine Fuel Services. He has helped build a fuel quality testing program, VeriFuel, which is easy to use and modern for the ship operators. He is now a Business Development Manager for the Marine Fuel Services.
Gunnar has presented at bunker and shipping conferences, conducted seminars and also written on marine fuels. His extensive knowledge on Marine Fuels has helped shipping companies mitigate operational and financial risks as well as cost reduction on bunker operations.
Gunnar graduated from University of Maine, USA in 1997 with a bachelor degree.
Partner
Caland Advocaten
Cherry started as a lawyer in 2004. She has been a lawyer in the maritime field since 2007. In January 2019 she founded Caland Advocaten together with four other partners.
The firm is a boutique law firm that specializes in Maritime and Trade law.
Cherry deals with various transport related matters, particularly on cargo claims and charterers’ liabilities. Apart from the more “wet” cases she also advises and assists logistic service providers and commodity traders. She has a large experience in bunkers claims as well as matter in the metal and food industry. Cherry is sometimes also instructed to act as arbitrator, mostly in logistic disputes.
Director, Environmental Trading
Blue Energy Partners
Trine Braathen brings over a decade of experience in carbon and renewable energy markets, supporting companies across the shipping, aviation, and industrial sectors in navigating their path toward sustainability. With deep expertise in both compliance and commercial strategy, she has helped global clients transform complex environmental challenges into measurable progress.
As Director of Environmental Trading at Blue Energy Partners, Trine leads the firm’s carbon trading and advisory services. Driven by a genuine passion for sustainability, she represents a new generation of energy leaders committed to making the green transition both achievable and impactful.
While regulation is playing its part in shaping the business strategies of the shipping and marine fuel sectors, the ‘usual’ commercial imperatives and challenges within the bunker sector continue to be in play.
This session will discuss the commercial ‘bumps in the road’ over the past year, caused by continuing geopolitical uncertainty and its impact on vessel routing and bunkering patterns. The bottom lines of most marine fuel companies have been impacted in the last 12 months and speakers will consider mitigation strategies, such as corporate risk management and the use of bunker insurance, as well as the outlook for credit provision and the potential for a new wave of consolidation in the sector.
The industry’s response to the introduction of the Mediterranean emissions control area will be discussed in terms of the demand for 0.10% sulphur fuels.
Moderator:
Llewellyn Bankes-Hughes, CEO & Founder, ship.energy
Geopolitics and Regulation Reshaping Supply
Chris Turner, Manager, Bunker Quality & Claims, Integr8 Fuels Inc.
Managing the Credit Agencies
Kieran Michael Brown, Group Credit Risk Manager, Island Oil (Holdings) Ltd
Risk Rating: The Invisible Engine of the Bunker Market
Lei Men, Shipping Analyst, Dynamar
Between Risk & Relevance: Why we trade in trust, not just fuel
Harro Booth, CEO, Elboil
Panel Discussion / Q&A
CEO & Founder
ship.energy
Joint CEO, Shipping Innovation | Director, Maritime UK
Llewellyn began his career in the oil industry in 1980, working both as a journalist and as oil broker in London and New York, with Petroleum Argus, Eperon Petroleum, Albion Oil, Petroleum Intelligence Weekly and OPEC Listener, before joining MRC Business Information Group in Oxford – which later became Lloyd’s List Intelligence after MRC’s acquisition by Informa – where he rose to Managing Director before leaving in May 2003 to establish Petrospot Ltd.
He is a Founding Member of the International Bunker Industry Association, which he helped create in 1993 and has organised conferences, seminars, training courses and multiple other events in 35 countries around the world and attended events as a journalist or conference speaker in a further dozen countries.
Llewellyn is co-creator, co-founder and co-owner of the biennial London International Shipping Week, whose first edition took place in September 2013 and has become one of the largest maritime events in the world.
Llewellyn was born in Abergavenny, Wales, in 1957 and lives in Oxfordshire.
Senior Counterparty Risk Analyst
Dynamar
Lei Men is a senior counterparty risk analyst at Dynamar B.V., a Netherlands-based consultancy company recognised for its expertise in maritime intelligence, counterparty risk evaluation, and maritime sector research. With nearly a decade of experience, Lei has led and contributed to comprehensive counterparty assessments and strategic market reports that support global stakeholders across maritime, logistics, and trade finance. His analytical approach combines quantitative financial review with qualitative industry insight, offering clients a balanced view of credit exposure and operational resilience. Before joining Dynamar, Lei worked in the banking and hospitality industries, where he developed a cross-sector understanding of financial due diligence and risk profiling. He holds a master’s degree in economics from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Active within the maritime community, Lei has presented insights on credit exposure and market dynamics at key industry events, including conferences in Singapore (2024) and Dubai (2025).
Founder & CEO
ElbOil
Harro is the founder and CEO of the ElbOil Group a leading mid-sized trader of marine fuel solutions. With over 25 years of experience in the maritime and energy sectors, he has built a reputation for delivering reliable, cost-effective fuel services to shipping companies globally. His entrepreneurial journey began with a small trading operation, which he successfully expanded into a multinational business with a presence in key hubs worldwide.
Harro is passionate about sustainability in the maritime industry and actively explores innovative ways to reduce emissions through cleaner fuel alternatives.
Prior 2011 where he founded ElbOil, Harro worked for several years for O.W. Bunker as Manager in Dubai and Team Leader of the Physical Desk in Hamburg. He also worked for Lukoil and Bominflot. Harro studied International Business Economics in Munich and Hamburg and holds a Master´s degree.
Technical Manager
Integr8 Fuels
Chris Turner, Technical Manager at Integr8 Fuels, joined the bunker trading firm in 2017 and is based in Dubai, UAE.
During his career spanning over 30 years in Oil & Shipping Industries, Chris has vast experience in Laboratory Management, Physical Supply, Bunker Broking, Trading and, more recently, providing technical supervision of the exclusive buying for Owners, Charterers and Operators including the development and design of online bunker resources.
Chris also sits on the International Bunker Industry Association’s (IBIA) technical working group.
Group Credit Risk Manager
Island Oil (Holdings) Ltd
Kieran Michael began his career as a shipping and oil credit analyst at Dynamar in the early 90s and subsequently became an analyst at Standard & Poor’s then Lloyd’s.
His credit management roles included serving as local MD and head of credit at Bunkers International and later WOS credit at Bomin.
He is presently Group Credit Manager for the Island Oil group of companies involved in physical supply and trading, as well as vessel owning & management.
ARACON has built a reputation for its analysis of issues relating to bunker quality, and at this year’s event speakers will discuss quality issues from a global and ARA perspective. They will look at the incidence of contaminated or off spec fuels, the use of fuel additives, and trends and developments in the lubricants market. Bunker pricing over the past 12 months will be considered as well as the ‘longevity’ of the traditional marine fuel grades as lower carbon fuels enter the supply chain.
This session will also offer an in-depth look at drop-in biofuels as covered by ISO 8217:2024 and in relation to fuel behaviour, fuel types, and provenance and certification.
Moderator:
Llewellyn Bankes-Hughes, CEO & Founder, ship.energy
2025 Marine Fuel Quality and Market Updates
Murray Kirkwood, Fuel Specialist Marine Consultant, Lloyd’s Register
Marine Biofuels: An Insight into Fame, Off-Spec Biofuels, Non-Fame Based Biofuels
Nishant Kumar Sharma, Regional Head Technical Sales, Europe, Viswa Group
Cleanpulse | Infrastructure-Grade Cleantech for Industry, Energy and Maritime
Captain Walter P. Purio, Global Chief Executive Officer, Pelican Technologies
Making Fuel Go Further
Stuart Hall, Head of Technical Sales – Marine, Sulnox
CEO & Founder
ship.energy
Joint CEO, Shipping Innovation | Director, Maritime UK
Llewellyn began his career in the oil industry in 1980, working both as a journalist and as oil broker in London and New York, with Petroleum Argus, Eperon Petroleum, Albion Oil, Petroleum Intelligence Weekly and OPEC Listener, before joining MRC Business Information Group in Oxford – which later became Lloyd’s List Intelligence after MRC’s acquisition by Informa – where he rose to Managing Director before leaving in May 2003 to establish Petrospot Ltd.
He is a Founding Member of the International Bunker Industry Association, which he helped create in 1993 and has organised conferences, seminars, training courses and multiple other events in 35 countries around the world and attended events as a journalist or conference speaker in a further dozen countries.
Llewellyn is co-creator, co-founder and co-owner of the biennial London International Shipping Week, whose first edition took place in September 2013 and has become one of the largest maritime events in the world.
Llewellyn was born in Abergavenny, Wales, in 1957 and lives in Oxfordshire.
Global Chief Executive Officer
Pelican Technologies
Captain Walter P. Purio is an accomplished maritime executive dedicated to advancing global energy transition through purposeful innovation. As Co-Founder and CEO of Pelican Technologies, he leads the global rollout of the CleanPulse Fuel, Air and Water platforms, enabling measurable decarbonization in marine and industrial operations. A licensed shipmaster with 17 vessel commands and over 30 years’ experience, he has led transformative initiatives across maritime safety, digitization, and sustainable fuel adoption.
He has served as Interim CEO of OSI Geospatial, Chairman of Rise-X, Board Member of Pilbara Ports Authority, and Co-Founder of the Clean Marine Fuel Institute. A frequent speaker at global decarbonization forums and conferences, Captain Purio holds dual MBAs (University of Chicago Booth; KU Leuven), a BSc in Maritime Transportation (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy), and a Master Unlimited Tonnage license. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to leadership that serves both industry and the planet.
Head of Technical Sales – Marine
Sulnox
Stuart Hall has an engineering background with extensive hands-on experience of capital plant, fluid handling and consumables in numerous industries. This involved the introduction of new technology, training, management of change and improvement in profitability with achievements in team building.
Stuart is responsible for developing and leading Forecast Technologies international sales strategy, whilst at the same time supporting the growth of the SulNOx technology.
Prior to joining Forecast Technology, Stuart has worked for market leading companies holding the positions of Sales Director, Technical Director and Managing Director. This necessitated the re-development of company business strategies to create greater product diversity and increased profit levels, including the development of multi-channel sales strategies. This led to improved effectiveness of the sales force and customer service levels.
Stuart graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from De Montfort University.
Fuel Specialist Marine Consultant
Lloyd’s Register
Born in Inverness, Scotland, studied Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Edinburgh University. Joined Lloyd’s Register (LR) at the start of 2013, worked briefly in London before relocating to Southampton. Have worked since in the FOBAS fuel testing business within the advisory side or LR. Involved in day-to-day fuel analysis reporting, advising ship owners and operators on fuel management, regulations, operational problems related to poor quality fuel. Involved in engine damage and fuel quality investigations. Recently involved in delivering fuel management training courses and the publishing of FOBAS/LR fuel quality and bio-fuel reports.
Regional Head Technical Sales, Europe
Viswa Group
Marine engineer graduate sailed up to the rank of Chief engineer with total sailing experience of 10+ years. Since 2014 worked for shore side of Technical Ship Management beginning with Technical Superintendent to Fleet Manager, Alternate DPA & Environment Compliance Representative for an esteemed ship management company.
Having gathered mixed experience from Ship to Shore for 20+ years, joined Viswa Group in 2024 to continue the path towards contributing to maritime Industry with best of the abilities, by creating awareness & sharing knowledge/experience, and providing support to prepare well for existing & future fuel challenges.
The ARA marine fuels market is front and centre of this session where speakers will discuss how global trends and events are impacting this lynchpin of the global bunker industry. What has influenced pricing dynamics in recent months, how are ARA traders and suppliers faring in a time of thinner margins, who are the new players in the market and how are the major ports in this region squaring up to the bunkering and regulatory challenges that lie ahead.
Moderator:
Lesley Bankes-Hughes, Managing Director, ship.energy
Navigating Change: The Influence of 2025 Geopolitical Events on ARA Marine Fuel Markets
Joseph Jaffe, Associate Price Reporter, S&P Global
MARPOL and the authority’s role in fuel bunkering
Norbert Ligterink, Senior Inspector, Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
HBE to ERE Transition
Johannes Schürmann, Commercial Director, FincoEnergies
Chia How Khee, Global Fleet Manager, TFG Marine
Working Practices & Transparency in Bunkering: Creating a Fit for Purpose Bunker Supply Chain
Martin Speksnijder, Regional Manager Survey Europe, Viswa Group
PANELLIST:
Christian Kint, Executive Chairman, Oilchart International
Managing Director
ship.energy
Lesley Bankes-Hughes is a highly experienced editor, news journalist and features writer. After a number of years as business editor of Jane’s Defence Weekly, she worked for the International Stock Exchange and Euromoney Publications. She also established a specialist newsletter covering European corporate mergers and acquisitions, and later spent several years at Christ Church, University of Oxford, with responsibility for developing educational outreach projects.
Senior Inspector, Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
After working twelve years internationally in academia on the interface of theoretical particle and nuclear physics, Norbert Ligterink returned in 2007 to the Netherlands and switched to research on combustion engine emissions, and its relation to fuels, legislation, test procedures, and the impact on air quality. Since 2024, he leads a small team of inspectors at the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), who control, based on administrative and criminal law, the quality of almost all fuel supplied in the Netherlands, including maritime fuels. Norbert Ligterink holds two PhD’s, in theoretical physics (1996) and system control theory (2007)
https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-infrastructure-and-water-management
Associate Price Reporter
S&P Global
Joseph joined Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, in 2024 as a Price Reporter in the EMEA Residual Fuels team.
He began by focusing on the fuel oil paper market, before expanding his coverage to include the Northwest European and Mediterranean fuel oil barge and cargo markets, where he now produces daily price assessments for the region’s key benchmarks.
In addition, Joseph covers the EMEA Bitumen sector, contributing weekly price assessments and regular market insights.
He joined Platts after completing an MSc in Climate Change, Management & Finance at Imperial College Business School.
Commercial Director
FincoEnergies
Johannes Schurmann joined GoodFuels in 2019, where he worked on the introduction of biofuels within the shipping industry.
After GoodFuels became part of FincoEnergies, he assumed the position of Commercial Director for the company’s bunker division. FincoEnergies supplies marine biofuels in the ARA region, offering a range of 100% biofuels and blends alongside conventional fuels.
The company supports its customers in realising the value of biofuel use through its Scope 3 business (GoodShipping) and FuelEU Maritime Pooling initiatives.
Global Fleet Manager
TFG Marine
Khee Chia How joined TFG Marine Pte Ltd in 2021, and he leads TFG Marine’s strategy to implement MFM and ISO22192 standards across the global fleet.
Khee’s experience/expertise centers on strategic deployment of Mass Flow Metering systems, including end-to-end oversight coordination and optimization to deliver projects while ensuring accreditation to relevant standards. This also includes ensuring regulatory compliance and driving operational excellence using the technology, operational data and standards, He also engages various industry stakeholders to share critical technical and operational knowledge to ensure safe MFM bunker operations.
Executive Chairman
Oilchart International
Christian Kint was born in Antwerp and studied maritime law and logistics. He started his career as a shipping agent and operator for a big grain exporting company in Buenos Aires, where he was working for 3 years. After a most interesting time in Argentina he came back to Antwerp to work for a container line.
With a few hundred euro’s, 31 years ago, he started with a small bunkering brokering activity under the name of Oilchart International nv. In the meantime Oilchart has become a leading supplier in the ARA range.
In this panel discussion, which brings Day 1 of ARACON to a close, industry stakeholders will pick up some of the themes explored in Session 4 and take forensic look at the impact of digitalisation on shipping and bunkering, including vessel/fuel consumption optimisation, the installation of mass flow meters and the increasing use of electronic bunker delivery notes.
A key focus in this session’s conversation will be the implementation of the MFM mandate at the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp which will come into play on 1 January 2026. Panellists will consider to what extent shipping and bunkering stakeholders are working to introduce greater transparency and efficiency into working practices and bunker delivery operations and how digitalisation and AI may play a greater role in the industry’s day-to-day business in the future.
Moderator:
Lesley Bankes-Hughes, Managing Director, ship.energy
Kenneth Zahti Juhls, CEO, AuctionConnect
Jeff Mildner, Founder, Vortex Development Group
Martin Christian Wold, VP Business Development, Ofiniti
Nicolai Bendixen, Managing Director – Bunker, ZeroNorth
Managing Director
ship.energy
Lesley Bankes-Hughes is a highly experienced editor, news journalist and features writer. After a number of years as business editor of Jane’s Defence Weekly, she worked for the International Stock Exchange and Euromoney Publications. She also established a specialist newsletter covering European corporate mergers and acquisitions, and later spent several years at Christ Church, University of Oxford, with responsibility for developing educational outreach projects.
Founder
Vortex Development Group
Jeff brings 30+ years of software experience to the bunker industry and is laser focused on guiding marine fuel delivery paperwork into the digital age. We’ve been working to transform an industry reliant on rubber stamps, inkpads, and pens by ushering in 21st century technology. It was obvious from our humble beginnings in 2015 that handwritten, pen on paper delivery receipts for high-value cargo were destined to be replaced with a digital equivalency; we wanted to be at the forefront of the effort.
Digital Bunker® from Vortex (available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play) delivers accurate and secure Marpol Annex XI compliant Electronic Bunker Delivery Notes (E-BDN’s®) and ISGOTT-compliant E-Ship Safety® (Declaration of Inspection) reports. Designed for fuel and lubricant deliveries made via Ex-pipe, Truck or Barge, the software automates 2004 API Volumetric calculations, with an easy-to-use interface allowing receiving vessel Ship Stamps to be captured photographically and tagged with GPS location data. All stakeholders receive emailed PDFs and back-office data is sent electronically to CRM systems instead of being re-typed.
Like so many other aspects of business today, it’s about speed, legibility, accuracy, record keeping, and sign-on-glass compliance. Digital Bunker checks all those boxes and can also reduce the time-cost of money—the length of time from when a receiving vessel’s Chief Engineer authenticates a document before an invoice can be tendered. Digital Bunker can shorten that time from days or weeks to less than a minute.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-mildner-5091511a
https://www.vortexdevelopmentgroup.com
VP Business Development
Ofiniti
Martin Wold is Vice President of Business Development at Ofiniti, where he helps drive the success of FuelBoss—the industry’s leading operational platform for bunkering. With over 15 years at DNV, Martin built deep expertise in alternative fuels and lead numerous initiatives to accelerate the maritime energy transition. He works closely with shipowners, fuel suppliers, ports, surveyors and technology partners to streamline workflows and enhance data transparency. A frequent speaker at global maritime events, Martin is passionate about bridging the gap between maritime operations and digital innovation, enabling smarter and more sustainable solutions for the shipping industry.
CEO
AuctionConnect
Kenneth Juhls leads the company’s ambition to modernize bunker procurement through greater transparency, efficiency, and digital innovation. He brings more than 25 years of experience across the shipping, trading, and technology sectors, with a strong track record of delivering commercial results and driving strategic development.
In addition to his role at AuctionConnect, Kenneth chairs the Digitalization of Bunkering Working Group and serves on the European Board of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), contributing to the advancement of digitalization across the global bunkering industry.
Managing Director - Bunker
ZeroNorth
Nicolai Bendixen is Managing Director for Bunker at ZeroNorth. In this role, he is leading the shift from transactional bunkering to an integrated part of shipping operations, where fuel procurement decisions are directly connected to voyage planning, commercial outcomes, and emissions performance. He is focused on helping operators navigate volatile fuel markets, new regulatory demands, and the transition to alternative fuels.
He has more than 20 years of experience in shipping, giving him a broad perspective on how market dynamics, regulation, and operations influence commercial decision-making. Nicolai began his career with A.P. Moller – Maersk before moving into shipbroking and chartering roles in Denmark, the UK and Singapore, later holding senior commercial positions at Ultrabulk, where he gained deep expertise in dry bulk markets and global trade dynamics.
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