MHI, Imabari Shipbuilding to collaborate on container carrier technology
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) and Imabari Shipbuilding Co have signed a technological collaboration agreement on container carriers. The initiative aims to combine MHI’s technological capabilities, as in the development of energy-saving vessels, and Imabari’s strong cost competitiveness, in order to establish an advantageous framework for competing in the international shipbuilding market.
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By effectively utilizing the shipyards of both companies, together MHI and Imabari will become capable of flexibly accommodating bulk orders – e.g. construction of multiple ships of the same design – thus strengthening and expanding their respective business for high-value-added container carriers.
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The three-year collaboration agreement, which can be extended upon discussion, encompasses all container carriers, without setting limitations on container carrying capacity or propulsion systems. Going forward, for business opportunities relating to container carrier construction, the two companies will exhaustively consider the appropriate ship type, propulsion system and other technological features to match the shipowner’s needs, and propose the optimum solution.
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Given the current trend toward adoption of international marine transportation rules for reducing environmental burdens, coupled with continuing fuel price escalation, demand by shipowners for more energy-saving vessels is increasing significantly. In particular, many large container carriers are now powered by marine diesel engines using heavy oil fuel, which emits much more carbon dioxide (CO2) than other fuel types.
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In response MHI has developed various differentiating technologies to meet the needs of customers. These include technology enabling use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is more environment-friendly, as fuel for a ship’s propulsion system and the Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS). MALS is MHI’s proprietary technology that reduces frictional resistance between a vessel hull and seawater using air bubbles produced at the vessel bottom, thus achieving reductions in energy usage and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
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