Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL) and Bearing Inc (Bearing) have expanded their partnership to make shipping more efficient and environmentally friendly by using artificial intelligence (AI).
As part of the deal, which builds on a partnership struck in 2019, MOL said it had developed a range of products to increase efficiencies, including an AI-powered Smart Routing Engine, for which it combined its expertise with Bearing’s AI infrastructure.
The routing engine automatically analyses multiple potential routes for a given voyage and recommends prudent, efficient routing through use of optimal main engine output and propeller RPM profiles.
Bearing is a Silicon Valley-based AI technology startup that focuses on streamlining shipping operations. At the core of Bearing’s technology are 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.
In a statement, MOL said, “The global shipping industry has been challenged to further enhance energy efficiency and develop measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships in a manner that will phase them out in this century.
“The MOL Group is one of the world’s leading multi-modal transport entities that is committed to achieving sustainable “Net Zero GHG Emissions” through collective efforts by 2030.”
