Japan launches first solar cargo ship
Technology ( 8 )
TOKYO —
The world’s first cargo ship partly propelled by solar power took to the seas on Friday in Japan, aiming to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions when automakers export their products.
Auriga Leader, a freighter developed by shipping line Nippon Yusen KK and oil distributor Nippon Oil Corp, took off from a shipyard in the western city of Kobe, officials of the two firms said.
The huge freighter capable of carrying 6,400 automobiles is equipped with 328 solar panels at a cost of 150 million yen, the officials said.
Company officials said the 60,213-ton, 200-meter-long ship is the first large vessel in the world with a solar-based propulsion system. So far solar energy has been limited to supporting lighting and crew’s living quarters.
The solar power system can generate 40 kilowatts, which would initially cover only 0.2% of the ship’s energy consumption for propulsion, but company officials said they hoped to raise the ratio.
Wire reports
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8 Comments
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0
shiuu
Only two-tenths of a percent of propulsion?
Sounds like a PR stunt to me.
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gaijintraveller
What is the solar power used for? Daytime lighting? Maybe turning off unnecessary lights in the daytime saves as much.
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mareo2
0.2%!? Is a joke? What a bunch of clowns...
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The_True
japanese PR doing they best
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some14some
When automakers will be able to resume exports, remains a big question.
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dontpanic
Adding sails to the ship would've been more effective, probably cheaper too!
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DXXJP
Better hope the suns out in the bay of Eden so they can outrun them pirates. Belive it or not Japan is still sending boatloads of cars to the ME, as the credit crunch didnt hit as hard there.
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sf2k
if sails have worked forever and work because you know where the wind is, then why not use windmills and sails? that would help propulsion directly and also make electricity. Since sailboats actually move ships, this would be far in excess of this useless 0.2%. Also whatever happened to those automated sails from ten years ago? There are the ones that work much like airplane wings but on their sides. The right Tech has applications but this is clearly not one of them.
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