Tokyo: Japanese shipping line Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) is to spend $22m over the next few years to equip 38 of its Panamax and post-Panamax vessels with Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) technology. AMP technology allows the vessels, ranging from 4,800teu to 8,600teu, to shut down the onboard diesel power generators while at berth and connect directly to more environmentally friendly shore-side electrical power.
According to the company, "utilizing shore power while at dockside significantly reduces and almost eliminates the vessel's emission of gases which contain pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM)".
"NYK will continue to make the environment its top priority," said NYK Line Corporate Officer Kenji Mizushima. "Striving to develop and utilizing environmentally conscious engineering and equipment reinforces our company's environmental policy of 'The Earth is Our Home'".
The company will not only ensure that 20 newbuilds such as the NYK ATLAS (pictured) feature the environmentally friendly technology, but also that 17 vessels from the current fleet will be retrofitted with AMP technology during their regularly scheduled inspections. NYK expects to have over thirty of the AMP capable vessels in service by the end of 2009.
In addition to the AMP technology, eight of the 8,600teu containerships currently on order will be equipped with electronically controlled engines to further reduce air emissions and leak-preventing hulls to protect the marine environment. [16/05/07]
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