Mitsubishi Ore Transport adopts Inmarsat Fleet Xpress fleet wide

Image: Inmarsat

One of Japan’s largest bulk carrier operators, with a fleet of 17 ships, Mitsubishi Ore Transport (MOT), which this year became part of the NYK Group, is looking to harness the vast potential of an increasingly connected maritime ecosystem to realize its digitalization and decarbonization objectives. In line with these goals, and to accelerate the adoption of digital services on board its vessels, it has adopted Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress across its fleet.

Combining the high speeds of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band network with unlimited backup from its FleetBroadband L-band service, Fleet Xpress provides the continuous connectivity MOT requires to deliver high-quality services to customers while advancing its digital transformation strategy.

Captain Gregario C. Ogatis, master of the MOT-managed bulk carrier Santa Isabel, described Inmarsat’s connectivity solution as “very simple, convenient and fast,” adding that it allows onboard personnel to “communicate easily with shore”.

MOT chief engineer Tesuro Ideguci commented: “Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress has allowed us to communicate with external parties and receive information very quickly, which is extremely beneficial. Thanks to Fleet Xpress, I believe the way we work on land and sea will change significantly in the future, and we will see improvements in all aspects of information exchange.”

In addition to supporting fast and seamless business communications, Fleet Xpress helps crew members make the most of their free time by allowing them to keep in touch with family and friends and enjoy online entertainment on their own devices – without interfering with mission-critical connectivity.

Using synthetic virtual networks, Fleet Xpress delivers bandwidth in segregated pipelines, with each essential service allocated its own dedicated route to the user. The bandwidth used outside of these essential services also receives its own pipeline, ensuring connectivity for both business and leisure, and achieves the highest standards in speed, reliability, and security.

Santa Isabel also benefits from Inmarsat’s Fleet Data, a maritime Internet-of-Things (IoT) platform that provides full data ownership and access from a single customizable dashboard. Fleet Data transforms the way ship owners and managers collect, transfer, analyse, store, and share vessel data for quick performance-based and historical benchmarking across the fleet. These insights support enhanced decision-making for more efficient and sustainable operations. Fleet Data is available on the Fleet Edge platform – a versatile, fully integrated modular solution giving Santa Isabel a path to operational efficiency, decarbonisation, and enhanced crew welfare over the Fleet Xpress network.

Shunsuke Miyazaki, general manager, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) Shipping, which owns Santa Isabel among other Mitsubishi Ore Transport chartered or managed ships, commented: “In the trend towards global decarbonization, the key is how to operate vessels more efficiently to reduce fuel consumption. We use Fleet Data to send information from the ship in real-time, and we leverage these insights to improve operational efficiency.”

For the two MC-owned vessels already deploying Fleet Data, Miyazaki added, the IoT platform has reduced fuel consumption and helped to ensure operations run according to schedule.

“We are delighted to support Mitsubishi Ore Transport in driving the adoption of digital services on board,” said Gert-Jan Panken, vice president sales, Inmarsat. “Inmarsat’s services are built to deliver control over the entire connectivity ecosystem. With Fleet Xpress, shipping companies like MOT gain access to a host of opportunities to optimise and drive efficiency, the ability to attract and retain the most talented crew, and the capacity to future-proof operations and build-in competitive advantages. By providing a clear view of what satellite communications mean to your business today and tomorrow, Inmarsat offers connectivity with certainty.”