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Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced that the exterior and basic design of a hybrid solar electric-powered car carrier, aimed at achieving zero emissions whilst at berth, has been determined.

The vessel forms part of a project aimed at developing systems to reduce CO2 emissions from ocean-going vessels, which earned a subsidy from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) in 2009. The car carrier will be launched at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kobe shipyard in June 2012.

The vessel will be equipped with a hybrid electric power supply system that combines solar power panels for generation with lithium-ion batteries for power storage. The system is the result of a cooperative study group of experts from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Sanyo Electric Group, and MOL.

"With solar panels on every bit of flat, exposed upper deck space, this system generates some 160kW, more than ten times as much as current systems on other ships, making it the most powerful system of its type in the world," MOL said.

The lithium-ion batteries can store some 2.2MWh of electricity, and the power generated by the panels while the ship is under way is stored in the batteries and used to power the ship's systems while it is berthed.

The system eliminates the need for diesel-powered generators, enabling the ship to achieve zero emissions at the pier. In addition, the lithium-ion batteries are placed in the bottom of the vessel, taking the place of fixed ballast, so they have no effect on the number of vehicles the vessel can carry.

The logo SOLAR HYBRID has been painted on the sides of the vessel near the stern to identify its hybrid system and its use of natural energy.

ISHIN Concept

According to MOL, the power supply system represents a significant step forward in realizing ISHIN-I, MOL's next-generation car carrier concept.

The ISHIN concept vessels stand for 'Innovations in Sustainability backed by Historically proven, INtegrated technologies'. In addition, ishin is the Japanese word for a complete revitalization or reform.

The first vessel in the series, the ISHIN-I car carrier concept, was announced on September 10 2009. This was followed by ISHIN-II - an environmentally-friendly car ferry that transports both cargo and passengers. The vessel uses LNG as fuel and a shore power supply system whilst in port.

The latest MOL concept is for an environment-friendly, large-scale iron ore carrier called the ISHIN-III, which MOL says will play a key role in future resource transport. The vessel's main features are waste heat energy recovery to assist propulsion and the reduction of CO2 emissions, even at low speeds.

"MOL will continue our aggressive development of technologies that will help reduce the burden on the environment caused by ocean-going vessels," MOL said.