NYK vessel will put solar to the test

Japanese liner carrier NYK will work with Nippon Oil Corp. to begin testing solar technology on board one of its 60,000-ton car carriers used by Toyota before the end of the year, according to an Aug. 26 Reuters news report.

It's estimated that the solar panels could generate up to 40 kilowatts of electricity and help reduce the vessel fuel use by as much as 6.5 percent. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 1 percent to 2 percent, or 20 tons a year, Reuters reported.

NYK is expected to invest about 150 million yen ($1.4 million) in the solar panels, which Nippon Oil will design. Reuters also noted that salt spray and the vessel's vibration will put the onboard solar technology through a rigorous test.

Ikutoshi Matsumura, executive vice president of Nippon Oil, told Reuters and other news media, if it's possible, we want to aim for full commercialization of the system in the next three to five years.

Source: American Shipper