JAPANESE SHIPBUILDERS FORM PLANNING AND DESIGN CENTRE FOR GREENER SHIPS
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, will work with other companies that have indicated their participation including eight other shipyards: Imabari Shipbuilding, Oshima Shipbuilding, Onomichi Dockyard, Sanoyas Shipbuilding Corporation, Japan Marine United Corporation, Shin Kurushima Dockyard, Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering, Namura Shipbuilding and classification society ClassNK.
The Centre will be directed by Dr. Hiroyuki Yamato, former President of National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo. Going forward, further participation will be sought among domestic companies involved in marine business including shipping companies and trading houses.
The members will develop advanced green technologies in a quest to achieve the medium to long-range targets set by the IMO. A founding aim of the Centre is also to contribute to the growth of Japan’s shipbuilding industry through consolidation of the country’s technologies in ship design and by advancing commercialization of next-generation greener ships.
Initially, the Planning and Design Centre for Greener Ships will strive to prepare detailed proposals for next-generation ships, but no further details are available yet. “The specific details will be discussed further ahead,” said a spokesman from Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.
A news conference held on December 10 highlighted how society globally, including the marine industry, has entered a period of significant change as a result of global warming and also as a result of rapid progress in digital technologies. It was also noted that the future of Japan’s shipbuilding industry is at a critical point largely attributable to the supply-and-demand imbalance in the global shipbuilding market. The Centre participants hope a positive future for the industry will be achieved by accelerating efforts to lead the world in integrating diverse environmental technologies and by building competitive ships.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding believes collaboration is key to future growth of the domestic shipbuilding industry. Going forward, as a member of the Planning and Design Center for Greener Ships, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will expand on MHI Group technologies to play a leading role in that growth.
MHI Energy Transition focus
In late November, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced an investment in H2U Investments, the holding entity that is behind the Eyre Peninsula development project in South Australia. The project is expected to begin production of green hydrogen and ammonia by the end of 2022.
On 1 December, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG) established a Decarbonization Business Department, focused on commercialising carbon capture technologies, a fast-growing area where MHIENG has a market-leading position. The new department is also expected to accelerate commercial viability of technologies for manufacturing clean fuels (green ammonia and hydrogen), and for the development and utilization of ammonia-based hydrogen manufacturing technologies.
In June, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced its participation in the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. The non-profit Center is targeting the development of new fuels and propulsion technologies for achieving zero carbon emissions in the shipping industry. MHI Group will cooperate primarily through provision of human resources. Other participants include ABS, Cargill, MAN Energy Solutions, NYK Line and Siemens Energy.
