No, it won’t have a Prius engine in it.  Though Toyota is not involved in the building of the ship, it intends to supply the 60,000 tonne car carrier with cargo that the ship will transport.  It will be capable of carrying 6,400 automobiles and will be equipped with 328 solar panels.

Nippon Yusen KK and Nippon Oil Corp will be building the ship to be used by Toyota.  Solar panels capable of generating 40 kilowatts of electricity would be placed on top, helping to conserve up to 6.5 percent of fuel oil used in powering diesel engines that generate electricity at any given moment.

It is scheduled to be complete in December.

There have been other ships with solar panels on them in the past, but this will be the first that will use the energy for propulsion.  With an expected reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 1-2 percent (20 tonnes per year) for a relatively low price ($1.4 million), this should lead the way to more solar initiatives in the eco-unfriendly world of cargo shipping.

The International Association of Ports and Harbours will meet November in Los Angeles, a month before the solar powered cargo ship is due to be complete.  Even though the hybrid ship will not be prepared, expect it to be a topic of discussion as pressure mounts for the shipping industry to reduce its carbon footprint which currently account for an estimated 5%-20% of all human greenhouse gas emissions.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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