Rivertrace specialises in oil-in-water quality monitoring. The company supports international shipping companies, offshore oil and gas operators, and land-based industrial organisations. Commercial Manager Gillian Lovering discussed the company’s new technologies, in conversation with Antonia Cole.
Founded in 1983 by the Coomber family, Rivertrace has expanded from a small startup into a key provider of marine environmental monitoring solutions, Commercial Manager Gillian Lovering said: “During our early years, Rivertrace participated in industry working groups supporting the development of MARPOL discharge regulations and contributed technical expertise to the evolving sector. Many of the core regulations and product ranges established during this time remain central to the industry today, including product lines that evolved into today’s SMART BILGE and SMART ODME ranges.”
Headquartered in Redhill, Surrey, Rivertrace manages design, manufacturing and dispatch from its UK facility. While the internal team consists of 33 employees, the company maintains a global reach through a network of over 50 sales and service partners.
The company has recently undergone significant structural changes to facilitate its long-term growth. In 2022, Rivertrace acquired Solar Solve, a Newcastle-based company with 50 years of experience in marine solar blinds. This acquisition enabled Rivertrace to diversify its product portfolio while remaining in the maritime sector. Following this, the company transitioned to an Employee-Owned Trust (EOT) in 2023. Under this model, Rivertrace has set a ten-year goal to double its revenue and increase EBITDA to £2 million.
“We are making great progress towards our target already,” added Ms Lovering. “Revenue has grown from £3.2 million in 2018 to a projected £9 million in 2026. With over 30,000 systems installed worldwide, we are continuing to develop our monitoring solutions for oily water discharges, boiler condensate and wash water, to ensure compliance with evolving environmental legislation.”
Digital systems
Currently, Rivertrace is transitioning its service model from providing traditional stand-alone compliance monitoring equipment to developing connected systems through its Rivertrace Connected initiative. Current monitoring requires crews to manually log data such as oil content, flow rates and GPS coordinates. This method increases the risk of human error and calculation inaccuracies. By automating these processes, Rivertrace provides real-time compliance data and remote visibility.
“This digitalisation ensures that information is no longer trapped in isolated silos but is instead integrated into a connected ecosystem that reduces crew workload and operational risk,” explained Ms Lovering.
This approach also supports integration with electronic Oil Record Book (E-ORB) software platforms, enabling compliance data from onboard monitoring systems to be transferred automatically into digital reporting workflows. By reducing manual data handling, operators can improve record accuracy, simplify inspections and reduce administrative burden on crew.
“To support this digital transition, we also offer a comprehensive fleet assurance programme,” Ms Lovering said. “Fleet Assurance is designed to standardise compliance practices across mixed fleets, reducing operational variability and simplifying long-term maintenance planning.”
The fleet assurance programme provides automated calibration reminders, fixed global pricing and rapid service support through key international hubs. This consistency allows fleet managers to maintain predictable costs and minimise downtime, regardless of a vessel’s location. Additionally, Rivertrace is driving research and development through its Smart Insight platform, which was created through a strategic partnership with a software company called Viam.
“While we focus on hardware excellence, this collaboration provides the software infrastructure needed to securely capture, visualise and analyse operational compliance data,” continued Ms Lovering. “Fleet managers can use this tool to benchmark performance across multiple ships, identify maintenance needs and review discharge trends. By transforming compliance data into trusted operational intelligence, we enable technical superintendents to identify inefficiencies and manage compliance risks with greater precision.
“These initiatives are helping our clients to move from reactive monitoring into data-driven analysis, ensuring environmental compliance and operational transparency.”
Expert monitoring
Rivertrace was established specifically to protect the marine environment, making sustainability a key pillar of the company’s development. As well as limiting its impact internally through enhanced energy efficiency, Rivertrace is integrating sustainability into its product lifecycle and service models. For example, the calibration exchange programme encourages the reuse of components instead of replacement and the company is optimising time and resource efficiency for its clients through digitalisation.
“What really sets us apart, however, is our focus on building long-term compliance partnerships, rather than simply supplying equipment,” commented Ms Lovering. “We support customers through every stage of a vessel’s life, from newbuild projects and regulatory renewals through to retrofit upgrades, life extension programmes and eventual decommissioning.
“These long-term relationships are supported by our global logistics network, which enables rapid response times. Coordinating the delivery of components and engineers to a moving vessel requires precise organisation. So, clients really value our ability to limit disruption.”
The company also acts as a compliance advisor, actively guiding customers through complex and changing maritime regulations. In order to help clients remain compliant as standards evolve, Rivertrace is looking to promote a more integrated maritime ecosystem. This will encourage industry leaders to collaborate and share knowledge, as they work towards the common goal of a more efficient maritime future.
“We are encouraging greater interoperability and trusted data exchange throughout the entire industry,” added Ms Lovering. “By breaking down these barriers and fostering collaborative partnerships, the maritime industry can make more informed decisions as we strive to create a more sustainable industry.”
Lasting impact
In its relationships with partners and suppliers, Rivertrace prioritises long-term stability over transactional pricing. With this, the company has been able to maintain partnerships for over two decades. These relationships are essential for providing high-level support and encouraging effective collaboration. For example, Rivertrace works closely with co-developers like RVL, strategic electronics partner responsible for PCB design, testing and manufacturing and Viam, who are our software and digitalisation partner.
“Collaborations like this have been vital in our digitalisation journey,” said Ms Lovering. “This is especially true as we continue to upgrade older components and improve product longevity. Additionally, we coordinate with OEMs and engineering companies to integrate our monitoring technology into larger systems. This ensures we are able to deliver our high-quality solutions within a diverse range of applications.”
As an EOT, Rivertrace has established an ambitious ten-year plan to become the world’s leading supplier of oil content monitors. This growth strategy aligns with the maritime industry’s transition towards net zero emissions. As the sector adopts cleaner fuels, every aspect of ship operations is impacted. Therefore, the company is adapting its monitoring solutions to ensure they remain effective for new fuel types. Rivertrace will then be able to react quickly to changing environmental demands.
“The future of maritime compliance will depend less on isolated technologies and more on how effectively systems work together,” explained Ms Lovering, in conclusion. “The industry does not have a technology gap – it has an integration gap. Our focus is on helping customers move from siloed monitoring towards connected, auditable environmental intelligence that reduces operational burden and supports cleaner shipping worldwide.”