The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar in Hamburg, Germany.

On Friday the world’s largest ship running solely on the power of the sun cruised into Hercule Harbor in Monaco, officially completing the world’s first circumnavigation for a 100% solar powered ship.

The vessel, a 31m catamaran named MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, is equipped with 537 square meters of solar panels used to recharge 6 blocks of lithium-ion batteries with every sunrise.  Rated to 93 kW, the propulsion package and efficient hull design generates enough power for the vessel to reach speeds of up to fourteen knots.

The Tûranor PlanetSolar is the brainchild of Raphael Domjan of Switzerland who in the Spring of 2004 first envisioned the expedition based on his love of Jules Verne’s novels.  Years later, construction began at the Knierim Yachtbau shipyard in Germany and she was eventually launched in March 2010.

Finally, in September 2010, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar left Monocco with a four-man crew in hopes of sailing around the world strictly on solar power. Nineteen months later; after crossing the Atlantic and Pacific, passing through both Panama and Suez canals, and navigating the treachorous waters of the Gulf of Aden, the Tûranor PlanetSolar completed its journey, breaking records for fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by solar boat and longest distance ever covered by a solar electric vehicle along the way.

Now, the journey will be put together into a book and documentary film scheduled to be released in September. The vessel itself will undergo a retrofitting to allow for more passengers and will be available for charter to adventurers looking for a bit of green history.

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Eco Marine Power's Auquarius Eco Ship concept design

Japan’s ECO Marine Group has just unveiled an innovative concept design that promises increased fuel efficiency and lower harmful emissions by harnessing both wind and solar power.  Unlike other concept designs we have seen, ECO Marine has designed the system to be flexible enough to fit a number of types and sizes of vessels as well as for ground-up construction for those looking for the complete package.

Based on what ECO Marine calls the Aquarius MRE System, the concept design incorporates a variety of eco-friendly technologies including solar panels, energy storage modules and an advanced rigid sail design that could lead to greater fuel savings while drastically reducing harmful emissions.

Eco Marine says that the system could potentially include enough solar panels and energy storage to power the vessel while in port without the use of auxiliary diesel generators.  While at sea, the rigid sail design will be used to supplement propulsion, further reducing fuel savings and harmful emissions.

A focus of the system was to make it so it can fit a variety of ship types and sizes including bulk carriers, oil tankers, survey ships, passenger ferries & even unmanned surface vessels.

For those looking for the complete package, ECO Marine has also designed the system for ground-up construction.  Called the Aquarius ECO Ship, the vessel will be equipped with the same technologies as in the Aquarius MRE System but with further fuel saving measures such as an advanced electrical propulsion system, and optimized hull design, waste recovery technologies and possibly even fuel cell technologies.

Eco Marine estimates that combination of technologies could lead to fuel savings of 40% or more and also dramatically reduce the emission of noxious gases such as Sulphur Oxides (SOx) & Nitrogen Oxides (NOx).

While the Aquarius MRE System and Aquarius ECO Ship exists only as concept designs at present, ECO Marine says it is ready to work with a shipyard or shipping company to further develop the technology adding that the work could lead to several new design concepts and even additional patent applications.

Built by Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co. over a 4-year period, she began her maiden voyage on January 27, 2012.

Nichioh Maru, image courtesy NISSAN

Nichioh Maru’s green secret is its energy-saving, electronically-controlled diesel engine, with 281 solar panels fitted to the carrier’s deck, as well as a low-friction coating on its hull, for better hydrodynamic performance.

Compared to an existing car carrier of the same type, the operator claims 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.

These panels, and the LED lights they illuminate in the ship’s hold and crew quarters, are a first in Japan, says Tomohiko Uchiyama, president of Nitto Kaiun Corporation, Roro’s operator.

“As Nissan went to the effort to launch the Nissan LEAF at that time, in terms of the logistical flow, we thought there would be a way for us to contribute using state-of-the-art technologies,” said Uchiyama.

“This is the first domestic vessel to have photovoltaic panels. Together using LED lighting on this ship, we aim to create an energy-efficient carrier.

“And, especially, if we use solar panels, we can reduce CO2 emissions because we don’t need to use oil for operating the generator. Already with this aspect, I believe that we can say that the introduction of this ship is a success.”

With a capacity of up to 1,380 cars, Nichioh Maru will join two other carriers in daily service on a 1,800 km domestic roundtrip route from Oppama Wharf near Yokohama, to Kobe, and then to the southern island of Kyushu — making two roundtrips per week.

The ship’s captain, 38-year veteran Tamotsu Sato, is pleased to be at the eco-helm.

“Something that’s gentle to the environment — that’s the most important thing, considering the current system on the ship. And, of course, we also have the solar power system,” said Sato. “This carrier is important in many ways. In my opinion, as a captain, I have no doubt that this ship will be a front runner in this industry…And from here on out,  I plan to do my best to again boost my skill set to work with this new technology.”

Image courtesy NISSAN

The Nichioh Maru follows in the sustainability wake of the City of St. Petersburg eco-carrier, which Nissan began using in 2010 for international routes in Europe.

This makes the eco-ship a dream carrier, and with more carriers to follow, Nissan is positioned to stay leagues ahead in sustainable mobility.

Vessel Details:

• Length: 169.95 m
• Width: 26.00 m
• Total weight: 11,400 tons
• Load capacity: Completed vehicles: 880 units (without truck trailers: 1,380 units), with trailers: 115 units
• Operating speed: 21.2 knots

Since completion of the vessel in December 2008, the car carrier M/V Auriga Leader has been equipped with 328 solar panels placed on its deck as an alternative source of power. Tests, however, have revealed power generation and storage difficulties in adverse weather conditions. It was also found that making the solar panels bigger resulted in problematic fluctuations in the power supply.

The Auriga Leader’s new hybrid power supply system now being installed is intended to provide a more stable onboard power supply in the event of harsh weather through the combination of solar power generation and the hybrid power supply system.

Whoever said a little black magic couldn’t be used to help cut carbon emissions?  Well, the folks at Sauter Carbon Offset Design aim to do just that with the introduction of the Black Magic, a zero carbon vessel that points to the way future tankers can reduce harmful green house gas emissions by 6 billion tons over the next 20 years.

Black Magic is a 4,000 ton Solar hybrid Vessel that is estimated to reduce GHG emissions by 75 to 100% by harnessing energy from the sun, wind and waves.  It features just about every green technology currently available to large vessels in order to deliver the cleanest marine propulsion system the world has ever seen.  Technologies include:

·         Mercedes Benz & MTU Bluetec diesel electric power generation
·         Hydro and aerodynamic advances in wave piercing pentamaran hull design
·         Azimuth counter rotating CLT high torque propeller systems.
·         KER & Power sailing regeneration.
·         State of the art fully rotational Wing Sails.
·         Maximum solar cell deployment. (2,000 square meters)
·         Energy efficient equipment, including AC & refrigeration with waste heat recovery
·         Computerized energy management, maintenance & guidance.
·         Lithium UPS

Black Maigic is being touted as the only realistic Super Green Alternative to the highly pollutant tankers currently in use and still being built.  Solar cells, power sailing regeneration and plug-in power sources charge a lithium ion storage system allowing Black Magic to achieve her maximum speed of 16 knots and navigate harbors and inland water ways with Zero emissions

Combine that above with 300 to 1,000kws of wing sail propulsion to arrive at virtually unlimited Zero Carbon Cruising at an average speed of 10kts (with optional Sky Sail 12 kts).

Read more about what green technology is being used on ships to cut harmful carbon emissions HERE.

Completed in late 2008, the M/V Auriga Leader is the world’s first cargo ship to be partially propelled by solar power.   The 656-foot, 60,000-ton car carrier will initially transport vehicles being sent for sale overseas by Japan’s top automaker, Toyota Motor Corp, and harness the energy of the sun in order to reduce fuel costs and cut carbon emissions.

Currenlty docked at the Port of Long Beach, officials from the port, Toyota and NYK Line are allowing visitors to come aboard and view the 328 solar panels on the M/V Auriga Leader as part of a demonstration project to help raise awareness about reducing diesel emissions from large ships.

The vessel, developed by Nippon Yusen K.K. and Nippon Oil Corp., is capable of generating 10% of the energy used while the ship is docked with its 328 solar panels on the top deck.  Nippon Yusen has set a goal of halving its fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 2010.

The panels themselves are not attached to the ship directly, but are rather installed on the ship’s car-carrier, which is capable of carrying 6,400 automobiles, and then connected to the onboard 440 volt electrical network.

The companies hope having the panels on the carrier will protect them from the stresses of the ship’s environment, including salt-water damage, wind pressure, and vibrations.

In celebration of Earth Day, NYK Line released the initial exploratory design for its NYK Super Eco Ship 2030, an energy-efficient ship expected to emit almost 70% less CO₂ emissions than current vessels. The design was created by MTI, a wholly owned NYK subsidiary charged with making use of advances in technology, along with Garroni Progetti s.r.l, an Italian designer of ships, and Elomatic Marine, a Finnish marine-technology consultant.

The race to go green is on in the shipping industry.  Not only is the price of oil soaring, but more and more stress is being put on the shipping industry to decrease its carbon emissions and its harmful affects on the global environment.  This has led shipping companies to turn to sources of a renewable energy to power their vessels.

Two Japanese companies have taken the initiative to tackle this important issue saying that they plan to begin work on the first ships to have propulsion engines partially powered by solar energy and they could be ready as soon as 2010.  According to an article in Reuters:

Japan’s biggest shipping line Nippon Yusen KK and Nippon Oil Corp said solar panels capable of generating 40 kilowatts of electricity would be placed on top of a 60,000 tonne car carrier to be used by Toyota Motor Corp.

The solar panels would help conserve up to 6.5 percent of fuel oil used in powering diesel engines that generate electricity at any given moment.

Solar panels for an average home usually generate 3.5 kilowatts of electricity.

The system is expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1-2 percent, or about 20 tonnes per year, said Hideyuki Dohi, general manager at Nippon Oil’s energy system development department.

Nippon Yusen will invest about 150 million yen ($1.4 million) in the solar panel system to be designed by Nippon Oil.

Solar panels capable of generating several kilowatts of electricity have been used on large vessels before but their use has been limited to power for the crew’s living quarters.

While this system would have to be implemented on a large scale to have any significant impact on emissions from the industry as a whole, it is a step in the right direction and could potentially persuade other companies to follow.

Check out gCaptain’s post on Skysails and more information on other green ship designs HERE.