Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), a Japan-based shipping company, and Neptune Robotics (Neptune), a Singapore-based robotics-driven vessel cleaning firm, have on Tuesday announced the signing of the memorandum of understanding which expand their partnership to accelerate fuel efficiency and decarbonization across NYK’s global fleet.

NYK said in a statement that as part of this push, NYK also joined Neptune’s $52 million Series B funding round led by Granite Asia, aligning incentives to scale deployment globally.

NYK has worked with Neptune since 2022, making it one of the earliest adopters of Neptune’s robotic hull cleaning.

From earlier deployments, Neptune’s robots delivered up to 10 times of fuel savings compared to cleaning costs, with significant reductions in fuel use and emissions.

The expanded partnership will now scale robotic cleaning across NYK’s global fleet, expected to generate even greater fuel savings and carbon reductions each year in the second deployment phase.

This collaboration also supports Neptune’s further expansion into global markets, opening access to a wider customer base and port ecosystem including Japan.

“We are impressed by Neptune Robotics’ highly efficient hull cleaning technology which maximizes protection to hull coatings and contributes to fuel savings and GHG emissions reduction, as well as compliance with environmental regulation,

“Through this partnership, we aim to create future business opportunities by combining our strengths. We hope to contribute to decarbonization not only across our fleet but also within the broader shipping sector,” said Hidehiko Sato, General Manager of Ship Business Group, NYK.

Elizabeth Chan, Chief Executive Officer of Neptune Robotics, said NYK has been one of the earliest and most forward-looking adopters of robotic hull cleaning.

“Their leadership has allowed us to demonstrate how automation can deliver real ROI and emissions reductions at scale,

“Together, we are proving robotics is a practical, scalable pathway to decarbonization,” she added.

Unlike diver-based or conventional ROV methods, Neptune’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robots clean a full draft Capesize vessel three to five times faster, automatically, safely, above and below water, and even in currents up to 4 knots, triple the counter-current capability of human divers.

Their robots operate day and night in clear and murky waters, while protecting hull coatings — a process endorsed by leading global paint manufacturers.

By jointly announcing this milestone, NYK and Neptune show robotics-enabled hull cleaning is commercially viable and essential for meeting the sector’s decarbonization commitments.

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