Toward a carbon-free society, Swiss and Japanese venture companies have jointly embarked on a project to operate a hydrogen-powered passenger ship in Japan.
On the 19th, the Swiss embassy in Tokyo signed a memorandum of understanding between "Almatec" in Switzerland, which is a venture company working on the project, and "e5 Lab", which is funded by MOL and Mitsubishi Corporation.
"ALMATEC" is developing a passenger ship that does not emit carbon dioxide, using a fuel cell that generates electricity with hydrogen as a power source.
Light materials such as carbon are used for the hull, which means that as the speed increases, the hull becomes more prominent and energy consumption can be reduced.
However, since the construction cost is higher than that of a general ship, "e5 Lab" will play a role of searching for and mediating a company that will introduce this ship on domestic routes.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, it will be the first time for a passenger ship powered solely by hydrogen to operate in Japan.
Tomo Satoshi Ichida, president of "e5 Lab", said, "We have to change the energy to realize decarbonization while taking responsibility for the next generation. We will utilize the world's technology to put on the technology unique to Japan. I want to. "
The IMO = International Maritime Organization has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero as soon as possible during this century, and there are moves to operate environmentally friendly vessels in Japan as well.