June 18 Reuters The global commercial shipping industry could cut down its carbon emissions by 47 million tonnes per year by deploying artificial intelligence for sea navigation, a study by autonomous shipping startup Orca AI showed on Tuesday.

The use of the technology could reduce the need for maneuvers and route deviation from close encounters with highrisk marine targets such as vessels, buoys and sea mammals by alerting the crew in real time, according to the report.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

Shipping, responsible for moving about 90 of global trade, contributes nearly 3 to the world39;s carbon dioxide emissions. This share is anticipated to rise in the coming years unless stricter pollution control measures are implemented.

The International Maritime Organization aims to cut emissions by 20 by 2030, a target under threat from the ongoing Red Sea crisis.

KEY QUOTE

In the short term, it can lead to fewer crew members on the bridge, while those who are on the bridge will have a reduced workload and more attention to tackle complex navigational tasks, optimizing the voyage and reducing fuel and emissions, Orca AI CEO Yarden Gross told Reuters.

In the long term, it will open the door to fully autonomous shipping.

CONTEXT

Global carbon dioxide shipping emissions reached an estimated 858 million tonnes in 2022, a marginal rise from the previous year, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

An average of 2,976 marine incidents are…