Nippon Yusen, Nippon Oil to test solar panels on ships

Japan’s Nippon Yusen KK and Nippon Oil Corp. plan to conduct joint trials next year to determine whether solar panels can help power large ships. The experiment will use a Nippon Yusen automobile carrier, construction of which is due for completion in December. These panels will be able to generate up to 40-kilowatt (kW) of power, equivalent to 0.2% of the ship’s overall energy consumption. The two firms hope to obtain data over a period of one to two years, on the effectivity of solar power systems in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the effects of weather changes on solar-power output, and how the system copes with wind and welter salt water. Some ships already use solar systems to generate power for living quarters, but the Nippon Yusen-Nippon Oil trial is believed to be the first time a solar system will be used to help power a ship’s propulsion system. Nippon Oil hopes to commercialize this technology in three to five years. (September 8, 2008)