MPC Capital presses forward with energy transition ambitions via new acquisition

Hamburg-based asset and investment manager MPC Capital has acquired a 50% stake in the compatriot performance management firm BestShip from Norway’s maritime group Wilhelmsen, a move expected to help the company ‘reinforce’ its position in energy transition-related activities.

As disclosed, BestShip offers a fully digitized AI-backed platform that provides assessments regarding energy efficiency and emission reduction requirements in vessels as well as entire fleets and suggests conversion or retrofit measures “when necessary”.

With its headquarters also located in Hamburg, Germany, BestShip provides its services to approximately 450 vessels to ‘diverse’ clients, including ship owners, charterers, and ship managers, according to MPC Capital.

For MPC Capital, the acquisition is described as a leap forward in the company’s growth- and sustainability-oriented endeavors, particularly at a time of strict environmental guidelines.

Christian Rychly, Managing Director Shipping of MPC Capital, highlighted: “In a time defined by stringent regulation and the pursuit of operational excellence, maritime operators face numerous challenges in maintaining compliance while maximizing performance. The complexities of global shipping are compounded by the need to adhere to environmental regulations, monitor vessel performance, and adapt to technological advancements.”

The recent transaction is not the first time that MPC Capital’s and Wilhelmsen Group’s investment paths have crossed. To remind, in 2021, Singapore-based ship manager Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM) acquired an 80% stake in Germany’s Ahrenkiel Tankers, with the 20% remaining in the hands of the existing owners – MPC Capital Group.

The acquisition was described as ‘extremely important’ for Wilhelmsen Ship Management as it marked the company’s re-entering into the tanker segment, after a 10-year-long absence.

This development took place just a year after WSM bought a 50% stake in Ahrenkiel Steamship, another subsidiary of MPC Capital’s.

In other, a bit more recent news, pressing forward with its ambition to have an eco-friendly ship, MPC Capital has made numerous investments in low-emission vessels as of late.

For instance, just a year after the company – together with partners – booked a methanol-ready boxship quartet at the South Korean shipyard Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Group (HHIC), namely in August 2023, MPC held a christening ceremony for the first two units, the ZIM Danube and ZIM Ganges.