Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced that the car carrier Orca Ace, operated by MOL and managed by MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd., was granted Remote Survey (RMSV) notation from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, which recognizes the vessel’s preparedness for implementing remote surveys (Note 1). The Orca Ace is the first vessel to earn ClassNK’s RMSV notation.

In conventional in-person surveys, which ClassNK carries out to ensure vessel safety and protect the marine environment, surveyors are required to visit vessels and inspect various onboard items along with crewmembers. The system established on the Orca Ace leverages ICT technology and, without requiring visits by surveyors, allows surveys using onboard broadcasts filmed by crewmembers. This leads to much more efficient use of time, such as eliminating travel time to board vessels, and allows contactless surveys.

MOL’s “Project for Establishing a System to Visualize onboard environments utilizing ICT” was selected by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) as part of the ministry’s projects for “MLIT R&D Support Projects for Advanced Safety Technology of Vessels,” and MOL has undertaken joint research studies with ClassNK (Note 2). This research led to the acquisition of the RMSV notation.

By using ICT (Note 3) such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the MOL Group strives to further improve vessel safety and efficiency, and to be customers’ company of choice in the logistics business.