Blue diversity

Though Liberty Pier has only been around for roughly five years, the maritime service provider based in Bremen can draw on decades of experience in different areas of the shipping industry. What sounds like a contradiction is nothing of the sort, as the company is the result of a merger between Liberty One and Handelshaus Bremen, which have combined their many years of expertise in consulting and shipbroking, respectively. Liberty Pier’s core areas of expertise now include asset management & finance, project coordination & controlling, chartering, and sale & purchase. With headquarters in Bremen and branches in Shanghai and Leer, the service provider also offers freight services for deep-sea, short-sea and intra-European shipping. But regardless of the services requested by customers, the primary idea of sustainable use of the oceans and thus sustainable shipping forms the foundation for all additional steps. “We’re making a deliberate effort to steer a course for the blue economy and play an active role in introducing eco-friendly technologies and sustainable fuels – both for the existing fleet and new ships,” stresses Ole Bendlin, who – along with Susanne Meyer and Dietrich Schulz – forms the Liberty Pier management board.

Sustainability can take many different forms

This philosophy is also reflected in the different projects launched by Liberty Pier such as the recent investment in a medium-sized multi-purpose freighter, which is responsible for transporting renewable energy components such as wind turbine parts. “With this freighter, which has been commissioned for several years of service, our purchasing and selling brokers have found a suitable asset, and our finance department has acquired the necessary equity,” summarises Bendlin. When it comes to new ship designs and the provision of modern transport capacities, the company’s contribution to sustainable shipping is much more significant. In collaboration with Ship Design & Consult (SDC), Liberty Pier just recently developed the design for a 2,000-TEU container feeder with dual fuel and methanol drive as well as a 5,300-dwt coaster with the same drive, including all the construction drawings and class approvals. As a result, these ships can be built immediately once suitable industry partners have been found.

The Bremen-based company has also compiled an extensive range of market studies on the use of sustainable fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen, biomethanol and e-methanol to enable market entry for a variety of stakeholders. Many of these stakeholders also use the VIDISEA database developed specially by Liberty Pier, which not only provides an overview of operational, nautical and financial data, but also contains figures that can help optimise shipping operations and make them more sustainable. “We’re also planning to integrate a CO2 calculator into the platform in the near future,” continues Bendlin.

Liberty Pier successfully organised the first Blue Convention in Leer last September, which it is especially proud of. Around 400 people attended the day event to take part in open discussions on the sustainable use of marine resources. “The response to the Blue Convention was so over-whelming, that we’re planning to establish it as a biennial event,” states Bendlin. The next date has already been selected: 26 September 2025. “Despite our ‘blue course’, we operate independently of any political colour,” adds the manager with a wink. “To implement our ideas and innovations, we plan to incorporate a wide variety of market participants and people of different ages – like we did at the Blue Convention.”

Dialogue at the Blue Convention: Dietrich Schulz, Managing Director of Liberty Pier, speaking to host Annie Heger

“Diversity is an advantage”

Liberty Pier relies on a whole host of different ideas – both externally and internally. “We quickly learned that diversity and, therefore, different cultures not only represent an opportunity for us, but are also a real advantage,” stresses Bendlin, referring to the seamless communication with employees in Shanghai, with whom they maintain daily contact. There have never been any complications in intercultural communication between East and West – in part because everyone involved had already met in person. However, Bendlin can remember an intercultural mishap that he only just avoided at the last moment during a trip to China. “I had brought a miniature Black Forest clock as a special German gift. But what I didn’t know at that time was that you should never give a Chinese person a clock as a gift. Because it means that the recipient’s time has run out.” Fortunately, someone informed Bendlin of the special symbolism of clocks in China just in time. “Sadly, we weren’t able to present a gift like we usually do. Instead, I had to sing my heart out at karaoke,” says the manager, who performed with Liberty Pier’s typical versatility. (bre)