Efforts are progressing to harness emerging technologies to
improve the efficiency of shipping operations. Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
announced that it is expanding its efforts with artificial intelligence to
achieve greater efficiency with routing which will also contribute to lower
emissions from their ships.
Building on a partnership that began in 2019, MOL is working
with Bearing, a Silicon Valley-based AI technology startup, to improve
efficiencies within the maritime industry. Together the two companies are
developing a range of products that combine MOL's maritime expertise and
Bearing's AI technology infrastructure.
Bearing, according to MOL, is building technologies using
highly-accurate ship performance models built off of a diverse set of real-world
data points. These AI-powered models with some historical voyage data for
certain vessels such as vessel speed, trim, main engine operation, weather, and
sea condition allow Bearing to predict metrics like fuel consumption with
state-of-the-art accuracy even without vessels' design parameters.
Through various trials and intensive discussions concerning
ship modeling, MOL announced that it has developed an AI-powered Smart Routing
Engine. This application automatically analyzes multiple potential routes for a
given voyage and recommends prudent, efficient routing through the use of
optimal main engine output and propeller RPM profiles.
MOL says that it continuously monitors the condition of its
fleet to ensure optimum operational efficiency which is being further aided by
combining the technologies of Bearing as well as other existing and new
solutions. Through the addition of AI technology to the existing voyage routing
systems, MOL expects that it will be able to further enhance the operations of its
fleet which currently numbers approximately 800 ships in operation.
MOL says that it understands the transformative potential of
AI and looks forward to leveraging Bearing’s AI expertise and background in
building scalable AI technology products to further advance operating
efficiencies.