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Clean ammonia market outlook: risks, realities, and infrastructure opportunities

By Patrick Kulsen, CEO, Insights Global

As the global push for decarbonization accelerates, clean ammonia has emerged as one of the most promising hydrogen carriers. Yet, beneath the optimism lies a complex and uneven market landscape—especially for those in the tank terminal industry.

During the Clean Ammonia Storage Conference in March 2025, we shared critical insights on the current state and future of clean ammonia, with a focus on storage dynamics. Here’s what tank terminal professionals need to know now.

Clean ammonia today: trade is decreasing

Ammonia is primarily used in fertilizer production—but clean ammonia (produced with renewable energy or low-carbon hydrogen) is increasingly eyed for applications in power generation, shipping fuel, and as a key enabler of the hydrogen economy.

Global demand has remained stable, with significant import needs across Asia, North-Africa, Europe, and North America. Independent storage infrastructure is still small compared to global trade of 15Mton. Our research shows that current global ammonia tank terminal capacity sits at approximately 1.35 million cbm, with Europe holding the largest share.

Trade flows are evolving—but terminal readiness is uneven

Ammonia trade flows remain concentrated, with major exports from countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Imports are dominated by India, Morocco, and the U.S.. This concerns mainly gray ammonia, produced from fossil fuels. The big promise is the development of green ammonia supply chains as part of the energy transition.

However, many planned terminal projects, aimed at facilitating these green ammonia flows, remain in early development stages—often lacking final investment decisions (FIDs), clear start dates, or capacity details. According to plans a wave of projects will come online between 2026 and 2030, adding at least 0.9 million cbm of capacity, particularly in Europe.

Market headwinds: Project realization rates are low

Despite aggressive decarbonization goals, less than 10% of green ammonia and hydrogen projects have been realized so far. Why? High production costs, limited offtake commitments, and an overall lack of willingness to pay premium prices.

Adding to the challenging investment environment is the recently installed Trump administration which is reshuffling priorities away from the energy transition to “drill-baby-drill”.

For tank terminal stakeholders, this translates into uncertainty—but also opportunity. The market may be slower than hoped or go in other directions, but those who anticipate infrastructure needs now stand to benefit most when momentum returns.

What’s next for tank terminals?

Terminal operators should carefully monitor developments in:

  • Green corridors for maritime shipping

  • Industrial hubs planning hydrogen/ammonia integration

  • Emerging regulations supporting clean fuel mandates

Storage players with flexibility and the ability to scale quickly will be best positioned to support the evolving ammonia supply chain.

Get the tools to stay ahead

At TankTerminals.com, we track ammonia terminal projects worldwide—planned, operational, and everything in between. Our platform gives professionals a data-driven edge in planning, benchmarking, and opportunity spotting.

👉 Start your free trial today and see how our research tool can support your ammonia market strategy.

The outlook for European liquid bulk logistics sector in 2025

The European liquid bulk sector, consisting of tank storage, tanker vessel and barging transport logistics, is dependent on global trade and is therefore influenced by geopolitics. Looking at current developments we conclude that there is a shift from globalization to global competition. The three major economic blocks, the US, China and the EU, are increasingly competing for economic power. In this race the EU is falling behind. The reason for this lag in economic development can be attributed to high energy prices, a strategic dependence on imports of critical raw materials, a poor track record of breeding high value innovative technology companies, and complicated, slow and indecisive decision making processes in the EU Council.

The report on EU competitiveness made by Draghi pinpoints three transformations that are needed to increase competitiveness: accelerate innovation and find new growth engines, bring down high energy prices while continuing to decarbonise, and cope with instable geopolitics by reducing dependencies and increasing defence investments. For Energy Intensive Industries and the transport sectors in Europe the report formulates a number measures along this line. Generally speaking the measures aimed at combatting high energy prices, aimed at supporting the automotive sector and aimed at spurring investments in chemical business and hydrogen are positive for tank storage and liquid bulk transport companies as business in chemical industries is supported. Hopefully these measures will be a priority for the European Commission and the European Council in the months and years to come. Much is at stake: our wealth, independence and way-of-life are under threat!

Short term market fundamentals are less favourable for tank storage and tanker transport markets. Oil prices are less volatile and the market is in backwardation. Natural gas prices are about four times as high compared to US markets leading to high marginal cost levels compared to other major competing regions. Petroleum refining and steam cracking margins are also depressed. The bearish market sentiment has translated into a lot of announced closures in Europe. Refineries and chemical plants across the continent are closing operations in a push to rationalize capacity. The effect on business is negative as this means less transport volumes and thus less need for tank storage capacity and shipping capacity. Our research has already confirmed decreasing tank storage rates and freight rates compared to previous periods. 2025 is set to become a difficult year for the liquid bulk supply chains and logistical operators in Europe.

To download the full slide pack please fill in the form below.

Insights Global / PJK International successfully completed 2nd independent assurance review of ARA CPP and Rhine Barge Freight Rate benchmark prices

Insights Global / PJK International has successfully concluded its second external assurance review of its benchmark prices for ARA CPP and Rhine Barge Freight Rates.

The independent review, conducted by an external auditing firm, assessed the policies and processes used by Insights Global / PJK International to evaluate oil product transportation costs via inland barges in Northwest Europe.

These policies and processes were developed in alignment with the Principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs) established by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in October 2012.

Recognized by the G20 in November 2012, the IOSCO PRA Principles have been incorporated into the EU Benchmark Regulation (BMR).

These principles set comprehensive standards for governance, quality, integrity, control, and conflict management for commodity benchmark price assessments.

Compliance with these standards requires annual external audits. Insights Global’s price assessment methodologies and policies are available here.

The audit report can be provided upon request.

Patrick Kulsen’s exclusive interview with Inspenet: a deep dive into Insights Global’s market expansion

We are excited to announce that Insights Global is featured in an exclusive interview with Inspenet. This interview provides an in-depth look at our strategic initiatives, market insights, and our plans for expanding our presence in the U.S. market. Learn from our experts as they discuss the future of the liquid bulk and terminal industry, and how our advanced data-driven solutions are shaping the landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and stay ahead in the industry.

In this interview, Patrick, our Managing Director, delves into the evolution of our company from its European origins to becoming a global leader. He shares insights on our commitment to innovation, the challenges and opportunities in the liquid bulk sector, and our vision for the future. This candid conversation is a must-watch for anyone looking to understand the dynamics of the industry and how we are positioning ourselves to provide unparalleled value to our clients worldwide.

Watch the interview here.

CITGO Petroleum Corporation Prices $1.10 Billion Senior Secured Notes

CITGO Petroleum Corporation (“CITGO”) has priced $1.10 billion aggregate principal amount of 8.375% senior secured notes due 2029 (the “notes”) in a private offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The closing of the offering is expected to occur on September 20, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions.

CITGO intends to use the total net proceeds from the sale of the notes for general corporate purposes and to pay all fees and expenses in connection with the sale of the notes.

In addition, CITGO intends to pay a dividend to CITGO Holding, Inc. (“CITGO Holding”) of approximately $1.120 billion to fund the pending redemption of the $1.286 billion aggregate principal amount of CITGO Holding’s 9.25% senior secured notes due 2024 (the “CITGO Holding notes”).  The redemption of the CITGO Holding notes is contingent upon the consummation of the notes offering.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the notes, nor will there be any sale of the notes in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.  This press release does not constitute a notice of redemption with respect to the CITGO Holding notes.

The offer and sale of the notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

The notes are being offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to non-U.S. persons in offshore transactions in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.

By PR News, September 29, 2023

An Oil Boom Is Underway In Ghana

Several African countries have welcomed investment in oil and gas in recent years, as parts of the continent undergo industrialization and investors look to develop new reserves. Africa provides companies with the potential for low-cost, low-carbon oil and gas in largely unexplored areas.

But governments across the region hope to be more closely involved in operations, ensuring that they get a significant proportion of the revenues to bolster their economies. One such country is Ghana, which expects an oil boom over the next decade and beyond. 

At the COP27 climate summit last year, several African state leaders presented the case for the development of the region’s oil and gas resources. Following a year of shortages and surging energy prices, several countries with oil and gas potential urged investors to develop new, low-carbon operations to meet the global demand without having to rely on aging, carbon-heavy operations. And many energy firms are now viewing regions such as Africa and the Caribbean as vital to their aims to decarbonize. 

In Ghana, there are 17 oil and gas projects in the 2023 to 2027 pipeline. This includes 3 upstream projects, nine projects in the midstream sector, and five new downstream projects.

Ghana is now one of Africa’s fastest-growing hydrocarbon producers. There are several oil operations already underway in the West African country, with Phase 1 of the Pecan Conventional Oilfield as well as the Jubilee South East field and Ntomme Far West Development. 

Pecan is expected to have a capacity of 82,500 bpd when production begins in 2025, with phase 1 costing $1.5 billion. It is operated by exploration and production company Aker Energy Ghana Ltd. (50%); petroleum corporation Lukoil (38%); Ghana’s state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) (10%); and transport company Bulk Ship & Trade (2%). Meanwhile, the Jubilee South East field should begin producing 37,000 bpd by the end of the year. The field is operated by Tullow Oil (38.98%), deepwater exploration and production company Kosmos Energy (38.61%); the GNPC (19.69%); and South Africa’s National Oil Company (NOC) PetroSA (2.72%). Ghana hopes to discover further oil and gas deposits in the Ntomme Far West Development, with a pre-feasibility analysis having taken place and exploration drilling planned for later this year. 

Meanwhile, the country’s midstream sector will expand alongside exploration and production operations. Ghana plans to develop the Tema Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Plant, the Tema VI Liquids Storage Terminal, the Dixcove Oil Storage Facility, the Wa Oil Storage Facility and the Tema-Akosombo II and Tema Pipelines between 2023 to 2027. 

In March this year, the African Energy Chamber stated that Ghana hopes to double its oil output by the end of the year, from 180,000 bpd to 420,000 bpd. The CEO of the Petroleum Commission of Ghana, Egbert Faibille Jr., stated “Ghana has positioned itself to attract investments in the energy sector.

We present one of the best investment opportunities in the sub-region. Following the Jubilee discovery in 2007, 30 additional discoveries have been made and are pending appraisal and development. Ghana guarantees attractive fiscal terms. These terms have proven over the years to provide a favorable investment framework.” Faibille added, “We have several blocks open for direct negotiation and three available for farm-in opportunities.

We have some fields that are in pre-development, so if we are able to get contractors, we should see a surge in production by 2030.”

Ghana’s oil operations are already well underway, with the country expecting to open a new $1.98 billion oil refinery in Tema this month.

The Sentuo Group’s facility is expected to produce 5 million metric tonnes of petroleum products including liquified petroleum gas (LPG), jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, and fuel oil. Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry confirmed last month that Sentuo is in discussions with the government to acquire 500,000 barrels of crude for refining.

By 2025, Sentuo plans to expand the facility to refine 4.26 million tonnes of petroleum products. 

Meanwhile, Britain’s Tullow Oil announced the start of operations at the Jubilee South East (JSE) project in July. The company said that the first well started producing, with another two producers and a water injector expected to come online later in the year. Tullow hopes the field will produce over 100,000 bpd once operational.

The firm’s CEO stated, “Successful start-up at Jubilee South East is a significant milestone for Tullow and for Ghana.” He added, “We are well positioned for future growth with production ramping up in the second half of 2023 that will generate significant free cash flow.

This marks the start of material deleveraging as we continue our transition into a low-debt business with the financial flexibility to pursue value accretive opportunities.” 

Ghana is viewed as Africa’s rising star, thanks to its stable political system, growing economy, and the rapid development of its oil and gas sector.

There are several projects in the pipeline, with oil production expected to increase significantly by 2030. Ghana could provide oil producers with the opportunity to develop the low-cost, low-carbon oil needed to meet the high global demand en route to an eventual global energy transition.

OilPrice.com by Felicity Bradstock, August 23, 2023

Nigeria Looks To Attract Oil & Gas Investment At International Roadshow

Nigeria plans to hold an international roadshow to attract investments in its upstream sector, the petroleum regulator of OPEC’s biggest African oil producer said in a speech shared with Reuters.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) plans to organize in the coming weeks an international roadshow to pitch upstream investments in the country, which looks to boost its oil production and significantly raise its natural gas output.     

NUPRC plans to organize in the coming weeks its first Nigerian Upstream International Investment and Financial Roadshow (NUIIFR) to allow upstream players to network and discuss financial structures to enable investment, representatives of the regulator said in a speech at a conference of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in Lagos earlier this week.

“Whereas the global imperatives for energy transition is clear and justified, the need for Africa’s energy security, economic development and prosperity cannot be overemphasised,” the Nigerian regulator said.

Nigeria aims to significantly increase its oil production to up to 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) by November 2023, hoping to win a higher quota in the OPEC+ agreement, Gabriel Tanimu Aduda, Permanent Secretary at Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources, told Energy Intelligence last month.

Nigeria has consistently failed to produce to its quota in the OPEC+ agreement. The combination of pipeline vandalism and oil theft with a lack of investment in capacity has made Nigeria the biggest laggard in crude oil production in the OPEC+ alliance. Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have long plagued Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas industry, driving majors out of the country and often resulting in force majeure at the key crude oil export terminals.

Nigeria’s quota was 1.742 million bpd earlier this year, but due to its underproduction of more than 400,000 bpd, the output cap for Nigeria was lowered to 1.38 million bpd at the OPEC+ meeting in early June.

Oilprice.com by Charles Kennedy, August 8, 2023

One Sector To Watch Oil As Oil Prices Rally

After remaining range-bound for much of the second quarter, oil prices have mounted a significant rally, with analysts saying oil markets are finally waking up to the fact that fundamentals have tightened significantly. After remaining in surplus for months, many experts have predicted that demand will begin to surpass supply thus improving oil prices and margins for oil refiners.

For instance, StanChart’s demand model projects a supply deficit of 2.81 million barrels per day in August; 2.43 mb/d in September and more than 2mb/d in November and December.

The analysts have also projected that global inventories will fall by 310 mb by end-2023 and another 94 mb in the first quarter of 2024 thus pushing oil prices higher.  

Although U.S. oil refinery margins have halved since the middle of 2022, they remain at historically high levels and are likely to remain elevated through the summer of 2023 thanks to high operating rates and low fuel stocks.

Gross margins for refining three barrels of crude to produce two barrels of gasoline and one barrel of distillate fuel oil have retreated to $33 per barrel from a record $60 at the start of June 2022. Still, margins are in the 95th percentile for all trading days since 2001, underpinning refinery profitability and encouraging high levels of capacity utilization. 

Revenues and profits for refining companies have declined from last year’s historical highs but remain at healthy levels. Here are three refining stocks to keep an eye on.

Marathon Petroleum Corp

Market Cap: $54.3B

Dividend Yield: 2.6%

YTD Returns: 22.5%

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) is an integrated downstream energy company and the largest petroleum refinery operator in the United States. The company’s latest earnings revealed strong refinery demand despite general economic malaise. Marathon’s Q2 2023 revenue of $36.82B (-32.1% Y/Y) beats the Wall Street consensus by $2.94B while GAAP EPS of $5.32 beat by $0.74.

Net income fell to $2.23B, or $5.32/share, from $5.87B, or $10.95/share from a year ago while adjusted EBITDA was cut in half to $4.53B from $9.06B a year ago. Refining & Marketing segment adjusted EBITDA fell to $11.88/bbl from $27.79/bbl for the prior-year quarter while segment margin was $22.10/bbl compared with $37.54/bbl in last year’s corresponding quarter.

Crude capacity utilization clocked in at 93% with total throughput of 2.9M bbl/day.

Marathon Ol continues returning copious amounts of cash to shareholders: The company revealed that it returned ~$3.4B of capital through $3.1B of stock buybacks and $316M of dividends in the second quarter. The company’s diversification into renewables gives Marathon Oil better protection from fluctuating oil prices and refining margins.

PBF Energy Inc.

Market Cap: $6.0B

Dividend Yield: 1.3%

YTD Returns: 26.2%

PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) engages in refining and supplying petroleum products. PBF is one of the youngest oil refiners in the United States having been created in 2008. The company released its quarterly earnings report on Thursday, with revenue of $9.16B (-34.9% Y/Y) beating by $230M while Q2 Non-GAAP EPS of $2.29 beat by $0.05.

In-line with the industry trend, Q2 net income fell to $1.02B, or $7.88/share, from $1.2B, or $9.65/share, in the year-earlier quarter.  production fell slightly to 945,700 bbl/day from 958,800 bbl/day a year earlier. Refinery throughput fell to 935,800 bbl/day from 958,800 bbl/day a year ago and expects full-year production to average 915K-975K bbl/day.

And, just like its bigger peer, PBF Energy is diversifying into renewables: the company announced it had begun operations at its St. Bernard renewable fuel joint venture in New Orleans, and managed to sell the first products from the facility in July. The 50-50 joint venture with Eni S.p.A.(NYSE:E) has a processing capacity of ~1.1M tons/year of raw materials and will produce ~7.3M bbl/year of renewable diesel.

Phillips 66

Market Cap: $48.5B

Dividend Yield: 3.9%

YTD Returns:9.0%

Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) is one of the oldest refineries in the United States. The company operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company, with its refining segment one of its largest. Phillips 66 reported Q2 Non-GAAP EPS of $3.87, beating the consensus by $0.31.

The company does not report revenue figures but said it generated $1.0 billion of operating cash flow ($2.0 billion excluding working capital).  Realized refining margins fell to $15.32/bbl from $28.62/bbl a year ago. Phillips 66 revealed that it plans to run its refineries in the mid-90% range of their combined crude oil throughput capacity of 1.9M bbl/day in Q3, close to second quarter’s figure at 93%.

Phillips 66 announced that its Rodeo refinery in California will be fully converted to renewable diesel production by the first quarter of 2024 when it is scheduled to begin commercial operation.

Oilprice.com by Alex Kimani, August 8, 2023

Saudi Aramco To Pump $7 bln Into Biggest Petchem Investment In South Korea

Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) plans a $7-billion investment at a South Korean affiliate’s factory in the port city of Ulsan to turn out more high-value petrochemical products, the company said on Thursday.

The project, named Shaheen, is the Saudi firm’s biggest investment in the Asian nation to develop one of the world’s largest refinery-integrated petrochemical steam crackers, Aramco said in a statement.

Saudi Aramco owns more than 63% of South Korean refiner S-Oil Corp (010950.KS).

Construction of the new plant will begin in 2023 and be completed by 2026. It will have production capacity of up to 3.2 million tonnes a year, along with a facility to produce high-value polymers, Aramco said.

The steam cracker is expected to process by-products from crude processing, including naphtha and off-gas, to make ethylene, and is also expected to produce propylene, butadiene and other basic chemicals.

On completion of the project, S-Oil’s chemical yield, by volume, could almost double to 25%, Aramco said.

Global petrochemical demand growth is “anticipated to accelerate, driven in part by rising consumption from Asia’s emerging economies,” Chief Executive Amin Nasser said in the statement.

The project is well positioned to meet rising demand from Asia’s industries, he added.

The news came in conjunction with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to South Korea on Thursday.

Reuters by Joyce Lee, November 18, 2022

Market Intelligence in its 5 Stages of Maturity

For owners of terminals Market Intelligence (MI) can be the key factor to unlock pathways to cost reductions, smarter investments and growth. If the management team succeeds in predominantly making well-informed choices based on easily digestible structured information the whole outlook for the company could change. With strong MI it is also possible to zoom in on currently underperforming terminals where market adjustment and optimization will lead to better performance and profitability.

In the world of Market Intelligence there is a best practice developed by the Global Intelligence Alliance or GIA (currently active under the new company name M-Brain). It’s widely known as the GIA Framework for developing World Class Market Intelligence. The company published it in 2009 in a whitepaper titled World Class Market Intelligence – From Firefighters to Futurists.

Basically, it thoroughly explains a matrix with on the vertical axis 6 Key Success Factors (KSF) and on the horizontal axis 5 Stages of Market Maturity.

The 5 Stages of Market Intelligence Maturity

GIA gave the 5 stages frivolous yet insightful names like firefighters for the poorest, informal, last minute, ad hoc intelligence gathering and futurists for the world class MI of truly visionary companies.

  1. Informal Market Intelligence – “Firefighters”
  2. Basic Market Intelligence – “Beginners”
  3. Intermediate Market Intelligence – “Coordinators”
  4. Advanced Market Intelligence – “Directors”
  5. Word Class Market Intelligence – “Futurists”

Let’s look at each stage individually:

Informal Market Intelligence:

Any tank terminal operation, and any company for that matter, handles various sources and streams of information of course. At this stage of maturity companies will probably not even use the label “market intelligence” for their information gathering and sharing activities. There is no predefined scope to these activities that will typically be done ad hoc when needed with little coordination and with little or no tools and resources.

Basic Market Intelligence:

Companies that have at least heard about Market Intelligence and its benefits may also be on a path with some “basic” first steps toward an actual MI program. Such a tank terminal operation might already engage an external service provider for some of their information needs. The activities are still mostly done ad hoc, like while preparing for a merger or an acquisition. There is however already some structure to how the intelligence is gathered, stored and shared.

Intermediate Market Intelligence:

At the intermediate stage a company is well aware of the benefits of market intelligence, has maybe seen some good case studies and is motivated to do better themselves. It is likely such a company will allocate some budget for services of external providers and a first set of software tools. At this stage the scope and the level of analysis of the MI remains rather limited, partly because the intelligence operation is only loosely integrated to business processes, if at all.

Advanced Market Intelligence:

Once a company has really internalized the need for the most insightful intelligence for its business processes, once it has assigned a network of employees who can spend a certain percentage of their time on MI and once it has established an external network of information sources and vendors such a company reaches the advanced stage of MI. A tank terminal operation in this stage will have defined concrete deliverables of the MI process that actually match the needs articulated by decision-makers. True and obvious benefits ensue, further deepening the commitment of the management to treat MI as a vital part of the organization.

World-Class Market Intelligence:

Beyond the advanced stage and benefits clearly translate into growth and profitability there is a route to move on to the “World-Class” level, where Market Intelligence will be established as an integral part of all corporate business processes and there is a deep focus on future topics and issues. The market leader in the tank terminal business has gone this route starting the implementation already back in 2007. The case study in the Handbook of Market Intelligence (describing the status in 2009) demonstrates that there is always room for improvement. But exactly that is where the greatness lies: once a true MI culture permeates an organization, remaining humble and continuing to improve becomes a second nature.

Let’s now look at the 6 Key Success Factors of Market Intelligence one by one.

The 6 Key Success Factors of Market Intelligence

Scope

In order to not drown in an ocean of information, it is important to limit the MI by clearly defining the scope of the intelligence. In principle a deep and wide scope is desirable, but in the beginning, you can juggle only so many balls. Scope then limits the specific intelligence topics that will be researched at all.

Process

So, with the defined scope, that may become ever wider and deeper, a tank terminal operation knows what information to dig for and who to deliver it to. The process aspect of the information flow looks at how information is gathered and delivered.

Deliverables

Market intelligence projects need to determine at the outset how the output of the information gathered will be delivered and shared. Think of deliverables like internal newsletters, documents, spreadsheets and presentations. They can also include workshops and seminars.

Tools

A corporate intranet is typically the first big company-wide tool that companies implement, and that allows for a basic level of MI in their organization. With that a tank terminal operation has at least moved away from the informal spaghetti of email threads. Beyond the basic level, there are more advanced generic or custom-built MI software tools that thoroughly and specifically embed the MI in the organization.

Organization

Putting someone at the helm of the MI operation is the logical starting point of allocating people and their time to the intelligence activity. Without that the MI naturally stays informal and ad hoc. With that first person appointed the MI can start to grow and internal and external networks can be built.

Culture

At the low end of MI maturity, a tank terminal operator has no “Intelligence culture”. There may be some intelligence gathering and sharing activity, but if the management or the employees don’t really cherish it, it will probably not go very far. Towards an advanced maturity level more and more employees are engaged via courses and training and see the benefits of strong MI. What may still be lacking then is the support of senior management or even the CEO. The high mark is when the CEO becomes the biggest internal promoter of MI.

The important thing to remember when trying to reach the next MI level is to assess what you need and what you want to accomplish. You have to assess your current level of Market Intelligence Maturity first and set a timeframe of progress towards the advanced stage. It is probably worthwhile to focus on some quick fixes and wins first if one or more of the 6 KSF’s are dramatically worse than others. Yet it’s also valuable to further strengthen the ones that are already at a high level. 

World class MI might be out of reach for many smaller tank terminal operations, yet it is still a good idea to know about it. At the world class maturity level, a company has a broad, deep focus on future topics and a systematic process that continuously produces insights into the company’s operating environment. That company will also have a dedicated Chief Data Officer who’s in charge of structuring all intelligence activities across the company. This manager would typically be responsible for the annual “Intelligence plan” that is updated year by year with vision and metrics on dimensions such as sales, business development, operations and finance and management.

Advanced or world class MI for tank terminal operators specifically entails:

  • A profound knowledge of the market of liquid bulk shipping and storage
  • An in-depth knowledge of the current and future competitive environment
  • Essential knowledge of regional and global trade flows and trends 

In an ideal situation MI will not remain an isolated function in the company but may rather inspire the whole company to become a learning organization open to and embracing new trends and ideas. In the end management can make better decisions at a quicker pace which increases revenue and reduces costs. Valuable new customers will be attracted and facilities will be built that are future proof.

This blog post is a shortened version of a chapter in the whitepaper “Market Intelligence for tank terminal operators” that can be downloaded via the banner below.

Whitepaper: Market Intelligence for Tank Terminal Operators Explained