Marubeni’s shipowning arm MMSL saved $86,000 in fuel on just one ship in a year, simply by giving watchkeepers a tool to help identify approaching vessels sooner.

The artificial intelligence-based tool is part of a raft of measures the Singapore owner has rolled out as it plays catch up with shipping’s use of digital and cleantech.

MMSL operates a fleet of about 30 vessels and, by managing director Taku Nakamoto’s own admission, has been slow in using many of the new digitalisation and decarbonisation tools that shipping has at its disposal.