Ship to carry 2,000 cars, cut CO2 emissions by 40%

Ship to carry 2,000 cars, cut CO2 emissions by 40%
by Tim Hornyak


Japanese shipping giant Kawasaki Kisen is building a next-generation car carrier that will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) instead of fuel oil, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent.

The carrier is set to be about 156 yards long, with a capacity of 5,000 tons, capable of carrying up to about 2,000 cars. Kawasaki Heavy Industries will supply the gas engines, and its nitrogen oxide emissions profile will be up to 90 percent lower than those of vessels using conventional diesel engines.

Kawasaki Kisen, whose K Line containers are a common sight in ports, made the plan in light of rising prices for fuel oil. It's apparently working on the design in conjunction with Norwegian experts who approve technology standards for ships.

As a cleaner transportation fuel, LNG is used in heavy trucks, buses, and ferries, but it's not common in cargo vessels. The carrier will start operating in 2015 or 2016 to service Europe, which is implementing tougher exhaust standards.