K Sætre & sønner AS

What K Sætre & sønner AS does

K. Sætre & Sønner AS is a family-owned Norwegian coastal shipping company founded in 1905, headquartered in Austrheim with operational presence in Bergen. The company owns and operates a fleet of four multipurpose dry cargo carriers — M/V Frakt Fjord (2008, 4,700 DWT), M/V Frakt Sund (2009, 4,650 DWT), M/V Frakt Vik (2010, 4,800 DWT), and M/V Rana Frakt (1987, 1,323 DWT) — providing bulk commodity and general cargo transport along the Norwegian coast and the North Sea region. Its primary customers are industrial shippers: Celsa Armeringsstål AS (steel scrap and reinforcement steel), Felleskjøpet Agri (fertilizer and grain, relationship since 1994), and more recently 7 Steel (long-term steel transport agreement). The business model is built on long-term freight contracts with anchor industrial customers rather than spot-market shipping, with each vessel effectively dedicated to a specific cargo flow.

The company's competitive and technical profile is centered on a transition to zero-emission coastal shipping. It has ordered a new 70-metre, 3,400-tonne all-electric cargo ship from Dutch shipyard Royal Bodewes (13.3 MWh battery, 270+ nautical mile range, delivery March 2028) for the 7 Steel contract, and signed an intention agreement with Celsa to replace MS Rana Frakt with a battery-powered vessel (~23.3 MWh, 300 nautical mile range, designed by LMG Marin AS). SEAM (Haugesund) is the electric propulsion package supplier, and Enova has provided grant support for the Felleskjøpet vessel project. The newbuilds are configured to operate on existing Norwegian coastal charging infrastructure, with planned land-power facilities at Vestnes, Kambo, Trondheim, Stavanger, and Glomfjord. The Wärtsilä- and MAK-powered existing fleet enables the company to carry dangerous goods (IMO Classes 1.4–9) and heavy cargo, providing technical versatility alongside its narrow customer focus.

Name

K Sætre & sønner AS

Legal name

K. Sætre & Sønner AS

Website

https://ksaetre.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

K. Sætre & Sønner AS is a family-owned Norwegian coastal shipping company operating four dry cargo carriers for steel and agricultural customers along the Norwegian coast, currently transitioning its fleet to zero-emission battery-powered vessels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coastal Bulk Shipping

SIC

Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Dry Cargo Carriers (Capesize/Panamax/Supramax/Handysize) (TLADABAC)

Keywords

• Coastal bulk shipping
• Dry cargo transport
• Maritime freight services
• Battery-electric vessels
• Norwegian coastal logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Austrheim

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Coastal bulk cargo transportation: Long-term freight contracts for transporting steel, steel scrap, and general cargo along the Norwegian coast. Revenue is generated through contracted shipping services with key industrial customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

K. Sætre & Sønner AS owns and operates a fleet of four multipurpose dry cargo carriers providing bulk commodity and general cargo transport along the Norwegian coast and in the North Sea. The company serves long-term industrial freight contracts for steel scrap, reinforcement steel, fertilizer, and grain transport. The company is transitioning its fleet to zero-emission battery-electric propulsion through newbuilds with Royal Bodewes and SEAM.

Product overview

K. Sætre & Sønner AS operates a fleet of 4 owned and managed multipurpose dry cargo carriers for bulk commodity and general cargo transport in the North Sea. The current fleet consists of M/V Frakt Fjord, M/V Frakt Sund, M/V Frakt Vik, and M/V Rana Frakt, serving long-term contracts with industrial customers including Felleskjøpet Agri and Celsa Armeringsstål. The company is transitioning toward zero-emission operations through a fleet modernization program, developing battery-powered coastal vessels with electric propulsion systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M/V Frakt Fjord Multipurpose dry cargo carrier built in 2008, 4700 DWT, equipped with Wartsila 6L26A 1860kW main engine. Classified for unrestricted operations with heavy cargo capability. Currently operates under long-term contract with Felleskjøpet Agri for fertilizer and grain transport along the Norwegian coast.
• M/V Frakt Sund Multipurpose dry cargo carrier built in 2009, 4650 DWT, equipped with MAK 6M25 1980kW main engine. Features pontoon hatch system and CO2 fire extinguishing system in hold. Certified for the carriage of dangerous goods (IMO Classes 1.4, 2, 3, 4, 5.1, 6.1, 8, 9).
• M/V Frakt Vik Multipurpose dry cargo carrier built in 2010, 4800 DWT, registered under Cyprus flag. Equipped with Wartsila 6L26A 1860kW main engine. Certified for carriage of dangerous goods including IMO Classes 1.4, 2, 3, 4, 5.1, 6.1, 8, 9.
• M/V Rana Frakt Dry cargo ship built in 1987 in Germany, 1323 DWT, operating under long-term contract with Celsa Armeringsstål AS in Mo i Rana for steel scrap and reinforcement steel product transport along the Norwegian coast. Planned to be replaced by a zero-emission battery-powered vessel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% operational time on battery power
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Royal BodewescoreOthers · 1 January 2026Dutch shipyard with long experience in building energy-efficient and innovative cargo ships. Awarded contract to build the new 70-meter all-electric cargo vessel with expected delivery in March 2028.
• SEAMcoreTechnology or IntegrationSEAM in Haugesund delivers the electric propulsion package for the new zero-emission vessel, becoming the largest single supplier in the project. Partnership to develop optimized electric ship for coastal operations.
• Celsa Armeringsstål AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned letter of intent for building a battery-powered zero-emission vessel to replace MS Rana Frakt. Partnership supports circular economy operations transporting steel scrap to Mo i Rana and distributing finished reinforcement steel products.
• LMG Marin AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned the future battery-powered ship for K. Sætre & Sønner in collaboration. Vessel designed to operate with current technology with approximately 300 nautical mile range.
• Felleskjøpet AgricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1994, solid transport partnership with Felleskjøpet Agri for fertilizer and grain transport along the coast. Over 800 voyages completed. Will build land power facilities at Vestnes and Kambo for all-electric operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wilson ASA: Norwegian family-owned short-sea and coastal shipping operator with a fleet of general cargo and bulk vessels serving the North Sea, Baltic, and European coastal trades — directly comparable in vessel type, customer base, and regional focus.
• Samskip: Pan-European shortsea and multimodal logistics operator with significant Norwegian service coverage, moving general cargo, bulk commodities, and containers between Nordic and Continental ports — overlapping with K. Sætre's coastal cargo niche.

Others

• Grieg Star Shipping AS: Norwegian family-owned dry bulk operator with a supramax/panamax fleet serving global trades — comparable in dry bulk commodity carriage and family-business DNA, though operating ocean-going rather than coastal tonnage.
• GC Rieber Shipping ASA: Norwegian shipping investment company with roots in family ownership, focused on subsea, offshore support, and specialized vessels — adjacent maritime peer sharing the Norwegian family-shipping heritage and coastal/offshore vessel management profile.
• Solstad Offshore ASA: Norwegian offshore vessel operator with a large, modern fleet — comparable in Norwegian maritime operating culture, family/regional ownership history, and vessel management depth, but focused on offshore service rather than coastal dry bulk.

Broad incumbents

• Belships ASA: Norwegian-led dry bulk shipping company (part of the Shipping family-controlled arena) operating supramax/ultramax bulk carriers globally — overlaps with K. Sætre's dry bulk cargo exposure but at larger, ocean-going scale.

Regional players

• Havila Voyages AS: Norwegian coastal shipping company operating passenger and cargo services along the Norwegian coast, including zero-emission vessel investments — directly comparable in zero-emission coastal shipping strategy and Norwegian geography.
• Eimskip hf: Icelandic-headquartered shipping line operating container, reefer, and bulk services across the North Atlantic and Nordic region, including Norwegian coastal calls — comparable in regional short-sea cargo activity but with broader container focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/k-s%C3%A6tre-&-s%C3%B8nner-as

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 K Sætre & sønner AS