Mitsui O.S.K. Lines continues to invest in emerging green technology, taking a stake in 13 Mari, a US-based company that develops and designs underwater hull attachments to reduce drag and increase vessel efficiency.

The company’s ripple-shaped Flowsmart elements, which can be retrofitted on ships, reduce the generation of drag-inducing larger vortices in the water flow around a vessel’s hull.

The hull attachments can be fitted to both newbuildings and vessels in service. Fitting 10 to 20 units was expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption by 3%-7%, or more if used in combination with current energy-saving aids such as wind propulsion systems and other types of fins, MOL said.

Since installation is not highly capital-intensive and can be done on a wide range of vessels, MOL sees broad application for the Flowsmart elements in bulkers and tankers, and especially in the small- and medium-sized vessels segment, where efforts to introduce wind-powered propulsion systems and alternative fuels have proved challenging.

No financial or other investment details were disclosed. 

MOL has been consistently working to carry out its plan to become a “social infrastructure” company under its Blue Action 2035 management plan and has been actively investing in non-shipping businesses to help fulfil its decarbonisation ambitions. Its decarbonisation subsidiary, MOL Switch, recently raised its investment in US-based synthetic fuel developer Twelve Benefit.