A New Initiative By Japan

18 February 2020. by

Japan takes up of new project which includes all-electric tankers will connect in battery power. Japan’s project seems global that may pave the new way in the shipping industry. In this important development that may lead to an agreement or achievement for battery-powered shipping. Japanese plan in this way develops all-electric propulsion for bunker supply ships conducting in Tokyo Bay conclusively lead to the country’s integrated 7,000 strong fleets of domestic vessels which are based on battery-driven.

 

Asahi Tankers, who is project manager Exeno Yamamizu, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui OSK Lines, with other corporations join the venture that has previously been folded. During the process, Japanese classification society ClassNK is also associated and will advise on the comprehensive design and electric propulsion for the beginning vessel.

 

Nevertheless the passion and determined in this way are big, the project is starting slowly. The project schedule will be launched around mid-2021. The concept of it was expanded by Netherlands’ Groot Ship Design as a specialist in a cargo vessel. The main power of new type vessel will certainly be from batteries and it will have a single generator set for back-up. The all-electric blueprint will complete with having automatic mooring with connectivity between vessel and shore.

 

Continual relatedness is the last trend that is growing fastly, thanks to battery-powered ships are paired with the latest technology of digital. For that giving example Rolls-Royce’s Autocrossing and Autodocking system. In Norway, Fjord1’s double-ended ferries, Gloppefjord and Eidsfjord manage short-range between Anda and Lote in where battery power is using with two 520 kWh batteries boosted by two 500 ekW Scania generators, each ferry can shift 120 cars and 249 passengers. There is more curiously point that just takes nine minutes for the ferries to recharge in port via automatic charging terminals which are located at the quayside. Norway was the first one to lead the charge about all-electric, battery power and hybrid vessels. But now this leader position of Norway has been changed about all-electric and hybrid vessels. There are more or less 40 % of the world’s battery-propelled ships in Norwegian waters. After France takes place in line with 20% of vessels being all-electric.

 

Now, Japan’s new project ( e5 lab project) is taking part as a game-changer in area. That is not an unexpected thing. Because Japan is working on it in many years. According to Narve Mjos who is director of battery services and projects at class society DNV GL, said that Vessels with battery power are a life-changing technology, but also for hybrid vessels. As for that fuel consumption decrease, costs will decline parallelly. Also, lower maintenance and lower emissions ensure many benefits for a shipping company and world. One of the benefits is silence than a normal engine. The battery-powered ships create quiet area and also it is safer. Of course, other benefit is about energy opportunity that comprises harnessing waste heat to store energy. With all those things, electric driving has developed into reality. Kongsberg Marine has summarized it with this sentence ” Electric propulsion is the way of the future”.