Selected media & news articles related to Eco Marine Power and our marine renewable technology & sustainable shipping projects.
For a list of our most recent Press & Media Releases please see our RSS News Feed
For other enquiries including requests to re-use images please use our online contact form
For more in-depth articles please see: Articles and Technical Papers
For regular news updates join our E-Mail News List
Developing Integrated Renewable Energy Systems for Ships
The Maritime Executive. 2nd July 2021.
Eco Marine Power (EMP) is a Japan-based technology company focusing on the development of renewable energy solutions for commercial ships. The company is developing integrated solar and wind power systems in cooperation with Japanese marine manufacturers and other partners.
Recently, EMP signed a memorandum of cooperation with shipowners for a prototype installation of the integrated solar and wind systems on a ship.
Lean & Green.
Greg Trauthwein. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. February 2020.
Eco Marine Power spent the last five years fine-tuning its design concepts, applying for patents and trademarks, and moving the first of its solutions through sea trials.
Eco Marine Power was originally started in 2010 to focus on the development oif ideas that might lead to design solutions that would reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions across shipping.
Eco Marine Power's Renewable Energy System Installed on Cargo Ship
JSMEA News. Autumn 2019.
An innovative ship solar power system developed by Eco Marine Power (EMP) has recently been installed on the large general cargo ship MV Panamana. The installation work was carried out by the ship’s crew with remote support provided by ZEABORN Ship Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. and EMP in Japan. All work was carried out as the ship operated normally with much of the installation done while the ship was at sea.
MV Panamana is a 54, 694 metric tonne (MT) open hatch general cargo/container carrier with 2 x 70 MT gantry cranes. The ship is owned by Masterbulk Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) and was built in Japan by Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. Read more...
Solar Sails Unfurl in Bid to Make Shipping Green: Q&A
Iain Wilson. BloombergNEF. August 6, 2019.
Arrays of solar sails affixed to the ships that carry global trade over the world’s oceans could be one of the answers to making the shipping industry cleaner and greener, according to Greg Atkinson, founder and chief technology officer of Eco Marine Power Co.
Eco Marine (Power) is a small startup headquartered in Fukuoka, Japan. The company and its partners are working to develop products to help the shipping industry cut emissions, including a rigid sail called EnergySail that is able to be fitted with solar modules to tap into the power of both the wind and sun. The company is also working with a battery manufacturer on a system to introduce more energy storage to ships. Read more...
The Winds are Changing
Dry Bulk Magazine - Summer 2018.
In recent years there has been a clear shift towards reducing harmful exhaust emissions from the world’s merchant shipping fleet. From January 2020, the sulfur limit for fuel oil used on ships will be 0.5% m/m (mass by mass). This, combined with a growing trend towards more sustainable practices in the shipping industry, is encouraging many ship owners to consider alternative and cleaner sources of propulsion and power on their ships..
One obvious source of clean power for ships is the wind and in 2012 a development project was started in Japan to address the limitations of earlier JAMDA sails, plus bring in new concepts and automation technologies 2Mb PDF
Solar Power Could Reinvent the Shipping Industry - If We Let It
NOVA Next. PBS. 18th April. 2018.
Around 100,000 large cargo ships regularly crisscross the world’s oceans, delivering cargo from point A to point B. In doing so, they burn through a staggering amount of fuel—around 250 million tons annually. There are clear real-world repercussions: the industry is the world’s sixth-largest source of man-made greenhouse gas emissions (at 800 million tons annually), and its pollution has been pegged to 60,000 cardiopulmonary and lung cancer deaths each year. Read more...
New Ship With Rigid Solar Sails Harnesses the Power of Sun and Wind at the Same Time
Futurism. January 26, 2018
In 2019 the world’s first solar energy sails will be put to the test. Called EnergySails, the technology should enable ships to use both solar and wind energy at the same time. The sails were developed by Japanese renewable energy systems company Eco Marine Power (EMP) as part of a larger project known as Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy. EMP is working on alongside other strategic partners and Japanese ship owner Hisafuku Kisen K.K to equip bulk carrier ships with the technology that, according to EMP, is an “advanced integrated system of rigid sails, marine-grade solar panels, energy storage modules, and marine computers.” EMP said the its project will enable ships to tap into renewable energy by harnessing the power provided by the wind and sun. Read more...
The Aquarius: Powering Ships with Renewable Energy
NauticExpo eMagazine - September 15, 2017
Japan-based Eco Marine Power (EMP) plans to set sell in 2018 with its Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) solution. It’s the world’s first combination of a rigid sail and solar power system for ships using EMP’s patented technologies, including EnergySail. After finding strategic partners with the necessary skills for such a complex, multi-year development project, EMP will integrate its Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy system into a vessel owned by Hisafuku Kisen K.K. of Onomichi, Japan. At the heart of the system is the EnergySail, a rigid sail that can incorporate a number of renewable energy technologies and be installed on a wide variety of ships, including tankers and cruise liners. Read more...
Radical ship with solar panel 'sails' that rotate to face the sun to set sail next year
Daily Mail Online - 27th July 2017
A ship with renewable energy panels instead of sails is set for trials next year. The EnergySail, a rigid sail that sits on a pole and rotates to harness both wind and solar energy, could help lower toxic gas and carbon emissions. The EnergySail can also be used when a ship is at anchor or in port and can withstand high winds, and could help reduce fuel costs. Read more...
Rigid solar EnergySail set for sea trials next year
New Atlas - July 25th 2017
Eco Marine Power is preparing to put its rigid solar energy sails through their paces next year. Unlike some other proposals for reviving the use of sails in commercial shipping, the EnergySail from Eco Marine Power (EMP) can harness the power of the wind and sun at the same time, for high-efficiency transport on the high seas. Read more...
Onboard renewable power study
The Motorship - 9th February 2017.
Renewable power technology expert Eco Marine Power (EMP) has begun a detailed study on the practical applications of its EnergySail and Aquarius MRE technologies onboard ships, in conjunction with several industry partners.The study will cover the engineering aspects of installing the technologies onboard a variety of ships and the expected Fuel Oil Consumption (FOC) and CO2 savings achievable during operations. Energy storage options will also be studied, including the possible use of fuel cells. Read more...
Interview at Electric and Hybrid Marine World Expo
UKIP Media and Events - June 2016
Greg Atkinson, chief executive officer, Eco Marine Power, Japan, talks about the company, which is leading a number of R&D projects focused on developing cost-effective commercial solutions for utilising wind power and solar energy on vessels such as bulk ore carriers, cargo ships, oil tankers, passenger ferries, USVs and naval frigates. Link to Video
