What GEFO Shipping Group does

GEFO Shipping Group is a privately held Hamburg-based shipping company founded in 1961 as Gesellschaft für Oeltransporte mbH, originally for inland oil barging on the Rhine. It operates a diversified 148-vessel fleet spanning deep sea chemical tankers, inland chemical barging through its UNITAS subsidiary, mineral oil barging, a triple-hull liquid gas fleet (propane, propylene, butane), specialized stainless steel inland tankers, and a global bunker trading operation, shipping roughly 18 million metric tons per year across the Baltic Sea, North Sea, English Channel, Bay of Biscay, Iberian Peninsula, Western Mediterranean and the north-west European inland waterway network. The company serves international chemical and oil majors, chemical producers and industrial gas companies, with offices in Hamburg, Antwerp, Duisburg and Wasserbillig (Luxembourg), and describes itself as a Top 3 service provider in every segment it operates.

GEFO's revenue model is B2B contract-based shipping on a transaction-fee structure, with pricing negotiated per cargo, volume, route and market conditions; long-term framework agreements anchor the relationship with major clients. Go-to-market is direct sales via dedicated chartering and operations teams in each segment, supplemented by a worldwide bunker trading desk accessible to shipping clients globally. No public pricing or revenue is disclosed, and ownership is concentrated with management (Ulf Loose and Sven von Appen as General Managers), with no disclosed parent company, private equity backer or institutional investor.

Underlying technology centers on fleet operations and maritime logistics for chemical, gas and mineral oil transport, with sustainability as the primary differentiator. Flagship innovations include the M/T Tosca, the world's first LNG-propelled chemical tanker in the sub-10,000 dwt segment (with sisters Norma and Arabella LNG-ready), Stage V engines with SCR catalysts reducing hydrocarbons by 81%, NOx by 97% and particulate matter by 95%, Flettner rotors for wind-assisted propulsion, and optimized hull designs cutting fuel consumption and emissions by up to 30%. The fleet program is backed by €400 million of capex for 26 newbuilds and 13 modern tonnage purchases (2022), with a follow-on order of 12 additional deep sea tankers in 2024. ESG credentials include EcoVadis Gold Medal 2025 (76/100, top 5%) and Green Award certification across the ocean-going fleet.

Name

GEFO Shipping Group

Legal name

GEFO Gesellschaft für Oeltransporte mbH

Website

https://gefo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GEFO Shipping Group is a privately held Hamburg-based shipping company operating a 148-vessel fleet across deep sea chemicals, inland chemicals (UNITAS), mineral oil, liquid gas, stainless steel tankers and global bunker trading for international chemical, oil and industrial gas majors across European waterways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Tanker Shipping Services

NAICS

Fuel Dealers (45721)

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Crude Oil & Petroleum Products Tanker Transport (TLADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Bunkering & Port Fuel Supply (EUALAIAG), Conventional Marine Fuel Bunkering (HFO/VLSFO/MGO/ULSFO) (TLAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Chemical tanker shipping
• Inland liquid barging
• LPG gas transport
• Marine bunker trading
• Mineral oil shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Deep Sea Tanker Shipping: Transportation of chemical liquids, commodity and specialty chemicals, and mineral oil products using a fleet of 22 ocean-going tankers with stainless steel and coated tanks, serving routes across Baltic Sea, North Sea, English Channel, Bay of Biscay, Iberian Peninsula, and Western Mediterranean.
2. Inland Mineral Oil Barging: Transportation of mineral oil and light chemicals using 47 modern double-hull barges across the north-west European inland waterway network, including Rhine tributaries and German canals.
3. Inland Chemicals Barging (Unitas): Bulk chemical barging services from Antwerp offices with a fleet of 42 double-hull tank barges having total capacity of 150,463 cbm, serving chemical majors and producers for over 40 years.
4. Liquid Gas Shipping: Transportation of liquid gases (propane, propylene, butane) using 24 triple-hull gas tankers, the youngest fleet in the gas shipping industry, operating across the north-west European waterway network.
5. Global Bunker Trading: Worldwide bunker trading operation trading 196,000 tons in 2025 with 1,655 bunkering operations. One of the world's oldest bunker trading operations with excellent reputation for quality products and service.
6. Stainless Steel Tanker Shipping: Inland transport of liquid chemical products using 17 specialized double-hull stainless steel tankers, shipping 1,692,000 metric tons in 2025.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GEFO Shipping Group is a privately held European shipping company that transports chemical liquids, LPG/liquid gases (propane, propylene, butane), and mineral oil products via a fleet of 148 owned tankers across deep sea and inland European waterways. The group also runs a worldwide bunker fuel trading operation, serving international chemical majors, oil companies, and industrial gas companies through long-term service contracts.

Product overview

GEFO Shipping Group operates a diversified fleet of 148 tankers across multiple segments: Deep sea chemical tankers (22 vessels), Inland chemicals via Unitas division (42 barges), Mineral oil barging (47 vessels), Gas fleet (24 tankers), Stainless steel inland tankers (17 barges), and Global bunker trading. The company provides integrated maritime transport services for chemicals, mineral oil, liquid gases, and bunker fuels across European waterways and deep sea routes. The fleet includes innovative LNG-powered vessels, hybrid propulsion barges, and vessels equipped with Flettner rotors for wind-assisted propulsion, reflecting commitment to sustainable shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemicals (Deep Sea) Ocean-going chemical tanker shipping services using 22 stainless steel and coated tankers to transport commodity and specialty chemicals across European deep sea routes for international chemical majors.
• Chemicals (Inland / Unitas) Inland bulk chemical barging across the ARA region, Rhine tributaries, and German canals using 42 double-hull tank barges with 150,463 cbm total capacity, operated by the UNITAS division from Antwerp.
• Mineral Oil (Inland Barging) Mineral oil and light chemicals inland barging across the north-west European inland waterway network, including Rhine tributaries and German canals, using a fleet of 47 modern double-hull tankers.
• Gas Fleet (LPG / Liquid Gas Shipping) Liquid gas shipping across the north-west European waterway network using 24 triple-hull gas tankers transporting propane, propylene, and butane, the youngest fleet in the gas shipping industry.
• Bunker Trading Worldwide bunker fuel trading delivered to shipping clients globally through a dedicated bunker trading team in Hamburg, backed by GEFO's credit credentials and shipping operations in Europe.
• Stainless Steel (Inland Chemical Tanker) Specialized inland transportation of liquid chemical products using 17 double-hull stainless steel tankers with 48,000 cbm total capacity, including multi-purpose barges with hybrid propulsion systems optimised for low-water levels, managed from Duisburg.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 reduction of 25%, SOx reduction of 100%, NOx reduction of 80%, particulate matters reduction of 95% with LNG propulsion (M/T Tosca)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• World Maritime University (WMU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with WMU for organizing seminars and crew training courses in 2024. Part of GEFO's commitment to sustainability and professional development of maritime personnel.
• Nantong Xiangyu ShipyardminorOthersChinese shipyard contracted for building new vessels including 7900-tdw tankers with Edelstahltanks and Eisklasse 1A, 3850-tdw chemical tankers, and deep sea tankers. Located in Nantong, China.
• Turkish, Romanian, and Dutch ShipyardsminorOthersAdditional shipyards utilized for the €400 million newbuild investment program for 26 newbuild vessels across multiple countries.
• Platform Zero IncidentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative for exchanging insights on safety and incident prevention with the rest of the shipping industry. GEFO contributes in-house BSCAT analysis expertise.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Navig8 Chemical Tankers: Chemical tanker pool and vessel operator offering parcel tanker capacity globally via the Navig8 Chemical Pool. Competes with GEFO's deep sea fleet for chartering contracts from international chemical majors.
• CFT (Compagnie Fluviale de Transport): French inland waterway chemical tanker operator serving the ARA-Rhenish corridor with a comparable parcel chemical barge fleet. Directly comparable to GEFO's Unitas inland chemicals operations serving Northwest European chemical producers.
• Odfjell: Norwegian-headquartered chemical tanker operator with ~100+ vessels serving global chemical majors. Competes directly with GEFO in the deep sea chemical tanker segment, particularly on Europe-Asia and intra-Europe trade lanes.
• Stolt-Nielsen: Global market leader in chemical tanker shipping with ~200+ parcel tankers, also operating tank terminals and refrigerated cargo. Most direct competitor to GEFO's deep sea chemical tanker business serving the same international chemical majors.
• Evergas: Operator of LPG and petrochemical gas carriers with focus on Northwest European and intercontinental routes. Direct peer to GEFO's gas fleet operations in propane, propylene, butane, and petrochemical gases.
• HGK Shipping: German inland waterway logistics company operating dry and liquid cargo barges on the Rhine and connected waterways. Direct peer to GEFO's inland mineral oil and chemical barging (Unitas) operations on the same Northwest European network.
• Bunker Holding: World's largest bunker trading company with global physical supply and trading operations. Direct competitor to GEFO's global bunker trading desk, particularly in Northwest European and Mediterranean bunker hubs.
• Team Tankers: Norwegian-headquartered chemical and oil products tanker operator with European and North American presence. Direct competitor in the parcel chemical tanker segment serving similar industrial chemical customers.
• John T. Essberger: Hamburg-based family-owned chemical tanker operator with a similar German/Northwest European focus and comparable fleet composition. Closely comparable to GEFO in operating geography, customer base, and privately-held ownership structure.

Broad incumbents

• Rhenus Logistics: Large European logistics provider with inland waterway operations and broader contract logistics, forwarding, and warehousing services. Overlaps with GEFO's inland chemical barging but operates at much greater scale across multiple logistics verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/gefo-shipping-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/gefo_shipping_group

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 GEFO Shipping Group