Peter Hinchliffe, ICS Secretary General; Koji Sekimizu, IMO Secretary-General, Spryos M Polemis, ICS immediate past chairman, Masamichi Morooka, ICS Chairman and Yasumi Kudo, President of NYK
The International Chamber of Shipping was last night honoured to be presented with a model of the award-winning NYK car carrier ‘Auriga Leader’ to mark the Chairmanship of Mr Masamichi Morooka.
The scale model of the world’s first solar-assisted vessel to be put into commercial service was formally presented to ICS by Mr Yasumi Kudo, President of NYK, in the presence of the ICS Chairman.
The 60, 000 tonne vessel is fitted with 328 solar panels which can generate as much as 40 kilowatts of power. The car carrier fist set sail in December 2008 and since then engineers have further developed energy saving techniques to enhance her hybrid power. Large nickel hydrogen batteries can now store and capture the solar power, helping to minimise output fluctuations from the diesel power generator to produce a more stable and steady supply of energy throughout voyages.
The ‘Auriga Leader’ was further updated to use low sulphur fuel oil to reduce air pollution and fitted with a ballast-water management system to prevent aquatic pollution.
Mr Kudo told guests: “We at NYK would like to honour the ICS and commemorate Mr Morooka’s chairmanship by presenting the gift to ICS of a specially designed NYK model vessel, the Auriga Leader. He added: “We very much hope that the model of the Auriga Leader will serve as a reminder of what can be achieved through collaboration and inspire further environmental innovation within the shipping community.”
- ICS is the principal global trade association for commercial shipowners and operators. Its membership comprises national shipowners’ associations in 35 countries representing over 80% of the world merchant fleet at those international bodies which impact on shipping. This includes the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
- NYK Is a long standing member of the Japanese Shipowners’ Association, whose predecessor organisation was a founding member of ICS in 1921. A representative from NYK attended the first ever ICS meeting.
