Japan launches solar power ship

The world's first cargo ship using solar energy was launched yesterday in Japan, helping carriers reduce fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions in freight operations.

A Japanese cargo ship.Photo: picaweb.com.

The ship, called Auriga Leader, was built by ocean carrier Nippon Yusen KK and Nippon Oil Corporation, sailing off a shipyard in Kobe city (western Japan). The ship is capable of transporting 6,400 cars and is equipped with 328 solar panels. The cost of buying and installing solar batteries is 150 million yen (1.68 million USD).

On the first trip, Auriga Leader drove Toyota Motor Group's cars abroad. Managers of Nippon Yusen KK and Nippon Oil insist that Auriga Leader is the first big cargo ship in the world to have a partial solar propulsion system. Until now, ships only used solar energy to light and power the crew's activities.

The solar panels of Auriga Leader can produce 40 kW of electricity, meeting 0.2% of the electricity demand of the propulsion system. The two companies confirmed this rate will increase in the future.

The shipping industry is under great pressure from public opinion and environmental organizations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to scientific calculations, worldwide cargo ships contribute 1.4 to 4.5% of the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.