---

Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) has taken delivery of a bulk carrier which is claimed to be the first commercial ship to be fitted with a hybrid turbocharger.

The 180,000 deadweight tonne (dwt) bulk carrier, Shin Koho, was built at the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation’s Tsu Shipyard. Its hybrid turbocharger was jointly developed by NYK Line, the Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI), the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).

In addition to the turbocharger’s normal function of a waste heat recovery system that utilizes exhaust gas to boost the output power of the engine by enabling it to aspirate at a higher level, the hybrid turbocharger uses the extra rotational power generated by the turbine to generate electrical power.

According to NYK Line, the vessel is capable of meeting all its onboard electric power requirements during normal sea-going operations by using the turbocharger instead of diesel generators. At the same time the turbocharger is also said to enable reductions in fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The hybrid turbocharger development project is subsidized through Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's 'Support for technology development for curtailing CO2 from marine vessels' project (announced on May 29, 2009), and is also supported by ClassNK through a joint research scheme.

Previously, MHI developed and successfully commercialized the waste heat recovery system MERS (Mitsubishi Energy Recovery System), which enables a 10 percent reduction in fuel costs by generating electric power through combination of an exhaust-gas-driven turbine and a steam turbine, for vessels requiring large electric power, such as container carriers and crude oil carriers.

NYK Line's environmental policy this year saw the company selected for inclusion in the Silver Class of excellent companies by SAM Group Holding AG (SAM), which assesses socially responsible investment. Every year, SAM rates companies that conduct 'superior corporate social responsibility activities' and places the top companies in one of three classes: gold, silver, and bronze.

The 292-metre long, 45-metre wide newbuild Shin Koho will be used to transport iron ore from Australia and other countries.