MOL concept ship slashes CO2 emissions

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.(MOL) says it has formed the concept for its next-generation vessels, which will be technically practical in the near future, by building on and refining technologies it has already developed and adopted.

The first is a next-generation, environment-friendly car carrier. MOL continues to work on concepts for other next-generation vessels such as ferries, bulkships, tankers, and containerships. MOL has named the concept car carrier "ISHIN-I (ishin one)," which stands for "Innovations in Sustainability backed by Historically proven, INtegrated technologies."

Main features are:

While in port, and during loading and unloading: Achieve zero CO2 emissions

Further develops the use of renewable energy for conventional car carriers. Realizes zero emission goal by adopting large-capacity solar-power panels and rechargeable batteries.

Under way: Reduce CO2 emissions by 50%

Adopts multiple new technologies to greatly reduce the vessel's burden on the environment. The ship achieves a 41% reduction in comparison (per unit) to conventional vessels with a capacity of 6,400 cars. CO2 emissions can be reduced by 50% on the larger capacity vessels envisaged for the future.

MOL has a special dedicated site explaining the concept in more detail. It's in Japanese only, but there's neat animation that's worth a look.

http://www.mol.co.jp/ishin/carcarrier/future/index.html