Hybrid car carrier completed

The Emerald Ace is equipped with a hybrid electric power supply system that combines a 160kW solar generation system − jointly developed by MHI, Panasonic and MOL − with lithium-ion batteries that can store around 2.2MWh of electricity, and which can be used instead of the conventional diesel-powered generators to supply onboard electricity while berthed. The system generates electricity by solar power while the vessel is under way, and stores the engergy in the batteries. The diesel generator can be completely shut down when the ship is in berth, using only batteries for energy needs, resulting in zero emissions at the pier.

The development of the Emerald Ace was subsidised by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a project to help reduce CO2 emissions from ocean-going vessels, and has received support from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai as a cooperative development project to reduce greenhouse gases produced by shipping.

MOL says that the hybrid system represents a significant step forward in realising its ‘ISHIN-I’ concept for next-generation car carriers, first announced by MOL in September 2009.