KOBE (Kyodo) The world's first large ship to use the sun to help power engine-related devices was unveiled Friday in Kobe, with a ceremony to turn on the flow of energy from solar panels installed on deck.
The ceremony for the Auriga Leader, a car freighter developed jointly by Nippon Yusen K.K. and Nippon Oil Corp. in an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through the use of solar energy, was held at a shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
Nippon Yusen has said the freighter will be the first large ship in the world to be powered partly by solar generation. Solar energy has already been used in vessels for lighting in cabins.
Using 328 solar panels, the ship is able to generate a maximum of 0.3 percent of the energy needed for engine-related devices and up to 6.9 percent of the electricity necessary for lighting and other general purposes.
The 60,000-ton vessel, which is about 200 meters long, will be used to transport automobiles overseas for Toyota Motor Corp.
Companies involved in the project said they aim to put the ship into practical use after conducting checks.
