Agreement of collaboration of the Japanese Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Imabari Shipbuilding in the field of the portacontainer



The Japanese ship yards Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHOS) and Imabari Shipbuilding Co. they have undersigned a triennial agreement of technological collaboration in the field of the container vessels. The initiative - they have explained the two navalmeccanici groups - has the scope to arrange the technological abilities to MHOS, for example in the field of the planning of ships to low fuel consumption, with the elevated competitiveness of Imabari for that it regards the production costs, with the objective to increase the competitiveness of both groups on the international market of the shipbuilding.

MHOS are the first ship yard to have constructed a portacontainer: the Hakone-maru, that it is realized for the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK). Up to now the group MHOS has constructed altogether 147 portacontainer. Imabari Shipbuilding is the greatest navalmeccanica society of Japan, is in terms of tonnage of ships constructed that of sold ships, and is one of the little in a position to constructing portacontenitori of great dimensions.

Using with efficiency the ship yards of both the companies - they have specified MHOS and Imabari - the two societies will increase the ability to tackle to consisting orders, as for example the construction of a series of ships based on the same project.

The agreement, that next friday will take effect, includes all the types of portacontainer, without limitations to the ability to the ships or the systems of propulsion. MHOS and Imabari have explained that in the prosieguo of the collaboration, to the aim to optimize the construction of the portacontenitori ships, the two societies will define the type of ship, the system of propulsion and the other technological characteristics more adapted to satisfy the requirements of the shipowners with the objective to offer the optimal solution.

"Given the current tendency towards the adoption of international norms on the marine transport that include the reduction of the environmental impact let alone the continuous increase of the price of the fuel - they have found MHOS and Imabari - it is increasing in meaningful way the question of ships to low consumption by the shipowners. In particular, many great portacontenitori ships currently are equipped of diesel marine engines that use heavy fuel oil, that they emit very more co2 respect to other types of fuel. Which answer MHOS has developed various technologies in order to satisfy the necessities of the customers. These technologies include that which allow use it of the natural gas which liquified, that it has a minor environmental impact, as fuel for the system of propulsion of a ship and Mitsubishi Air Lubrification System (MALS). MALS is a technology of property of MHOS that reduces the friction between the hull of the ship and the water with the employment of air bubbles produced from the bottom of the ship, obtaining therefore a reduction of the power consumption and the emissions of co2".