Researchers at Manchester University in the UK have developed a MarineFuelAI system which brings together historical fuel data, economic indicators and ‘port-specific variables’ to forecast prices for different bunker fuel grades at several global ports up to 60 days in advance. The research work is led by Dr Arijit De, an Associate Professor at the Alliance Manchester Business School, and he explained that the project’s tailored, route-based forecast can support shipping companies in their refuelling decisions. ‘This approach brings clarity around future fuel prices, cuts bunkering costs and helps global shipping sail confidently through uncertainty, toward a more efficient, resilient […]

The sixth annual report of the Poseidon principles indicates that the financial sector’s alignment with the minimum net-zero goals set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has improved by nearly 8% compared to the previous year. The average climate alignment score to the IMO’s Revised GHG strategy was +11.7% for the ‘minimum’ trajectory and +18.4% for the ‘striving’ trajectory, based on 2024 data. The metric measures the difference, as a percentage, between the actual emissions intensity of vessels in a financier’s portfolio and the emissions intensity limits under the IMO Strategy’s decarbonisation trajectories. The latest data shows a 7.7 percentage […]

The decision by MOL PLUS, the corporate venture capital arm of Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), to invest in Theia Ventures Fund 1, managed by Theia Ventures LLP, marks MOL PLUS’ first investment in an Indian venture capital fund. Theia Ventures Fund 1 invests exclusively in start-ups in India, with a focus on the energy transition, deep tech, material science and advanced manufacturing fields. According to MOL PLUS, its investment will allow it to accelerate business creation with start-ups in the Indian market, and to continue to promote the development of the India-Japan corridor. ‘Since the establishment of MOL […]