What Unigas does

Unigas, legally B.V. United Gas Carriers and trading as Unigas International, is a privately-held Dutch shipping consortium founded on June 4, 1969 in Rotterdam that specializes in the maritime transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied ethylene gas (LEG), serving the petrochemical and industrial gas value chains globally. The company operates a fleet of approximately 28 specialized vessels spanning Ethylene and Semi-Refrigerated carriers (including the Schulte, Happy, and Gas series), capable of maintaining cargo temperatures down to -104°C and transporting ethylene, LPG, and other pressurized/refrigerated petrochemical gases. Unigas is structured as a consortium of three shipping groups (with joint ownership in place for nearly 25 years) and operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Rotterdam (EMEA HQ), Houston (Americas), and Hong Kong (Asia/Australia), delivering services on a global voyage-contract basis to enterprise customers described as the world's leading chemical and gas companies.

The business is asset-heavy and capital-intensive by design: revenue is generated primarily through freight charges on gas cargo transportation, with pricing tied to cargo volume (CBM capacity) and voyage terms. Customer relationships are managed directly via dedicated commercial and operations teams across the three regional offices, supported by a 24/7 emergency operations line. In 2024, Unigas introduced the Compass Digital Platform — built with MariApps on top of its smartPAL solution — to provide real-time fleet data collection, visualization, and analytics for both vessel and shore-side staff, complementing the company's "Wake" sustainability initiative around lower-emission shipping models.

Unigas does not publicly disclose revenue, has not raised institutional funding, and reports a small 11-50 shore-based headcount concentrated around commercial, technical, operations, finance, and digital roles led by CEO Alex J. Graham. Strategic intent under the current leadership combines long-term customer relationships, consortium-driven fleet investment, and incremental digitalization rather than active market consolidation.

Name

Unigas

Legal name

B.V. United Gas Carriers

Website

https://unigas.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Unigas is a Dutch shipping consortium founded in 1969 that operates a fleet of ~28 specialized LPG and ethylene gas carriers, transporting petrochemical and petroleum gases for the world's leading chemical and gas companies across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia/Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Gas Cargo Transportation Services: Unigas provides transportation services for petrochemical and petroleum gases using its fleet of specialized LPG and LEG carriers. Revenue is generated through freight charges based on cargo volume (CBM capacity) and voyage contracts with customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Unigas specializes in the maritime carriage of petrochemical and petroleum gases, operating a fleet of approximately 28 specialized vessels including Ethylene and Semi Ref carriers capable of transporting LPG and LEG at temperatures down to -104 degrees C. The company is complemented by the Compass Digital Platform, a proprietary fleet management and analytics tool developed with MariApps.

Product overview

Unigas is a privately owned shipping consortium specializing in the safe carriage of petrochemical and petroleum gases (LPG and LEG). Founded in 1969, the company operates a fleet of approximately 27 vessels including Ethylene and Semi Ref carriers. Unigas offers transportation services for high-value petrochemicals used in plastics production. The core offering is the shipping fleet operations, supplemented by the newly developed Compass Digital Platform for fleet management, data analytics, and optimization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Transportation Services
• LEG / Ethylene Transportation Services
• Pressurized Gas Shipping Services
• Compass Digital Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Shipping is 3x more efficient than rail and 19.5x more efficient than road transport by gCO2 per tkm
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• MariAppscoreTechnology or IntegrationMariApps is the selected developing partner for building the Unigas Compass platform. Based on MariApps' existing smartPAL solution, they are developing tailormade data collection, visualization, and analytic elements for the vessel module of the Unigas Compass platform.
• Three Shipping Groups ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnigas is a privately owned consortium consisting of three shipping groups, each with deep historical roots in the shipping industry. The current joint ownership has been in place for nearly 25 years, ensuring a stable, long-term approach. The depth and magnitude of the group allows Unigas unique ability to combine strengths and magnify abilities to support customers with technical panels and expertise, investing together in the future of the sector.
• Othello Shipping / UltragascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOthello Shipping / Ultragas became a full Pool Member in 1995, changing vessel names from 'Sunny' to 'Happy' series. This marked the start of a significant relationship in the gas shipping industry.
• Bernard SchultecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn agreement was made for Bernard Schulte to join the Consortium in 1998, with three Schulte vessels joining the Pool in 1999. This expanded the fleet significantly.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mitsui O.S.K. Lines: Large Japanese diversified shipping group with an LPG/gas carrier division; competes broadly in global gas shipping but as part of a much wider portfolio of vessel types.
• NYK Line: Major Japanese shipping conglomerate with a gas carrier arm that competes for ethylene and LPG cargoes; offers similar capabilities but within a vastly broader tanker, container, and logistics portfolio.

Direct peers

• Navigator Gas: NYSE-listed owner-operator of a fleet of ethylene and LPG carriers with comparable semi-refrigerated capability; serves the same petrochemical and gas majors and competes directly for ethylene voyage charters.
• Evergas: Operator of a specialized fleet of ethylene and LPG carriers serving petrochemical majors globally; competes head-to-head with Unigas on transatlantic ethylene routes and pool arrangements.
• BW LPG: Oslo-listed, world's largest VLGC owner and LPG carrier; competes for large LPG voyages and is a benchmark gas carrier comparable in cargo type, though focused on VLGC rather than ethylene/LEG.
• Dorian LPG: NYSE-listed pure-play VLGC owner serving global LPG trade; competes for LPG cargoes though concentrated in very large gas carriers rather than ethylene/LEG.
• Stealthgas: Owner of one of the largest fleets of handysize and midsize LPG carriers globally; competes with Unigas in smaller LPG parcel sizes and regional gas shipping trades.
• Hartmann Group: Family-owned German operator with gas carrier and chemical tanker tonnage; competes in LPG and ethylene trades and shares Unigas's relationship-driven, privately-held operating model.
• Awilco LNG: Oslo-listed owner-operator of LNG carriers with overlap in liquefied gas shipping expertise; an adjacent peer given similar cryogenic cargo handling know-how, though focused on LNG rather than LPG/LEG.

Regional players

• Anthony Veder: Dutch owner-operator of gas carriers with European heritage similar to Unigas's Rotterdam roots; competes in regional European LPG and ethylene trades and is comparable in size and private-company character.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unigas-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/unigas_international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unigas