Nabtesco combines Telegraph Agent™ and Cassandra to deliver unmatched fuel optimization for Eastern Car Liner Co

Motion control technology giant Nabtesco Corporation has achieved a breakthrough success in marine fuel efficiency optimization following the deployment of its new Telegraph Agent™ automatic speed control system on the car carrier Malaysia Grace, owned by Eastern Car Liner Co Ltd (ECL). The system was combined with group company DeepSea Technologies' AI-driven optimization tool Cassandra, delivering a 3.4% reduction in fuel consumption* by automatically controlling vessel speed across key trade routes in Asia, the Middle East and Oceania.

Following this successful deployment, ECL has committed to installing the combined system on its entire fleet.

N Murakami, CEO of ECL Ship Management Co Ltd, said: “As the first company in Japan to adopt this technology, we sincerely look forward to further collaboration between Cassandra and Telegraph Agent™. Embracing new approaches is in our company’s blood, and the reduction in emissions this project has brought will be hugely valued by our clients.”

DeepSea CEO Dr Konstantinos Kyriakopoulos added: “We’re delighted that our AI-driven approach is taking hold in Japan, where companies are serious about the twin challenge of decarbonization and crewing. Cassandra’s AI allows companies to unlock the full potential of Telegraph Agent™ to identify the ideal setpoints to achieve maximum savings across any given voyage.”

Launched last year, Telegraph Agent™ empowers vessel owners to automatically control main engine output to match an RPM, power or speed specified by the crew. In tandem, Cassandra provides a highly accurate understanding of the correlation between speed and fuel consumption under a wide range of weather and oceanic conditions. By continuously analysing operational data in real time, Cassandra enables safer and more precise decision-making, identifying fuel-saving opportunities and unlocking the full potential of Telegraph Agent™ to enhance operational awareness across fleets.

Purpose-designed for companies taking their first step in intelligent automation, Telegraph Agent™ serves as the foundation of Nabtesco's strategy to provide a new generation of intelligent control tools that leverage the power of cutting-edge AI to significantly boost sailing efficiency and reduce emissions while easing the workload burden for seafarers.

*The 3.4% fuel efficiency gain was validated through a structured 10-day test, alternating Telegraph Agent™ between ‘on’ and ‘off’ every three hours. The analysis confirmed that the average operational speed (17.0 knots) was consistent in both cases. However, when Telegraph Agent™ was active, there was significantly less fluctuation in speed and fuel consumption, clearly demonstrating its effectiveness in optimizing engine performance.