Nissan Motor Co., Ltd unveiled the Nichioh Maru, an energy efficient coastal car carrier which will transport completed vehicles and parts on one of Japan’s main maritime shipping routes. The Nichioh Maru, newly built by Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co., Ltd., has installed solar power panels for the first time on a coastal ship in Japan and is propelled by an electronically controlled diesel engine.
It employs LED lighting in the ship’s hold and living quarters, and its hull is painted with the latest low friction coating, among other energy-efficient features onboard.
Compared to an existing car carrier of the same type, this ship can achieve a fuel reduction of up to nearly 1,400 tons annually, which converts to an annual reduction of 4,200 tons of CO2 emissions.
Nitto Kaiun Corporation, one Nissan’s main sea transport partners, will operate the Nichioh Maru on the main maritime route among the Kanto (Oppama), Kinki (Kobe) and Kyushu (Kanda) regions. The company usually operates four sailings per week on this route, but it will increase to six times per week with the addition of the new carrier. Augmenting this service is expected to help improve the transport of Nissan vehicles to their destinations.
Aiming for a leading low corporate carbon footprint is a key pillar of the Nissan Green Program 2016, the company’s new mid-term environmental action plan. Under this plan, Nissan is engaged in the development of zero-emission and environmentally-friendly vehicles, as well as CO2 reduction efforts during vehicle production, logistics activities, and in its offices and sales points. The new energy efficient car carrier will help to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in Nissan’s logistics.
[mappress] World Maritime News Staff, January 31, 2012; Image: Nissan-Global