NYK's Air-Lubrication System Recognized at 2013 Eco-Products Awards
November 28, 2013
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha
Monohakobi Technology Institute
At the 2013 Eco-Products Awards, Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award, one of the highest awards in the eco-services category, was presented jointly to Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK; head office: Tokyo; president: Yasumi Kudo), the Monohakobi Technology Institute (an NYK Group company; head office: Tokyo; president: Makoto Igarashi), and Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (head office: Saikai City, Nagasaki Prefecture; president: Hiroshi Minami) in recognition of the NYK Group’s use of an energy-saving air-lubrication system on its vessels.
This award was established in 2004 to put great products and services (eco-products) into further practical use in Japan. The recognition aims to support the providers of eco-products by giving attention to those that reduce environmental burdens.
The awarded air-lubrication system effectively reduces CO2 emissions by use of bubbles generated by air released from the bottom of the vessel to lessen the frictional resistance between a vessel's bottom and the seawater. Moreover, in 2010 a new air-lubrication system that features a blower that provides air to the vessel bottom, thus reducing friction between the vessel bottom and the sea, was co-developed with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and installed on two NYK Group module carriers. A system using the vessel's scavenging air was additionally developed and installed on a new coal carrier at Oshima Shipbuilding in 2012, thus demonstrating the viability of a system for large vessels having deep drafts. In fact, a CO2 reduction of about 4 percent during sea passages at deep drafts, and about 8 percent at shallow drafts, has been confirmed.
The NYK Group will continue its efforts to develop an environmental approach that contributes to the betterment of the global environment and the achievement of a sustainable society by striving to install this system on other types of vessels.
The awards ceremony will be held in Tokyo on December 12 at Eco-Products 2013, the largest environmental exhibition in Japan.
Reference:
Announcement on July 11, 2012, "Air-lubrication System on Two Module Carriers Reduces CO2 Emissions by 6%"
Announcement on July 30, 2012, "New Coal Carrier Prepares to Sail with an Innovative Air-Lubrication System"
Inquiries can be directed as follows:
NYK Line, Corporate Communication and CSR Group, tel. +81-3-3284-5195
Monohakobi Technology Institute, tel. +81-3-5222-7727
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