Osaka, Japan - 9th December 2013 - KEI System Ltd (KEI) and Eco Marine Power (EMP) are pleased to announce that they have jointly established the Aquarius Innovation Lab to develop sustainable shipping technologies. The facility is located in Osaka, Japan, and includes an indoor test centre plus an outdoor area for evaluating the performance of hardware such as solar panels, rigid sails & wind power devices.
The Aquarius Innovation Lab will conduct research & design plus product development activities related to marine renewable energy systems and fuel saving technologies. Ongoing projects include the development of the Aquarius MRE System and EnergySail, both of which are to be tested in the facility.
The Aquarius Innovation Lab is unique in that it will develop and test a wide range of equipment in a multi-vendor environment thus providing solutions suited to ships ranging from small passenger ferries and tugboats to naval vessels, bulk ore carriers and cruise ships. The lab is also an international one and will be evaluating and testing equipment from Italy, UK, Canada, Germany, USA and Japan.
The Aquarius Innovation Lab will also be used to prepare new features for the Aquarius Management & Automation System (Aquarius MAS) which was recently released by EMP and in the future, the lab will support feature upgrades for other EMP & KEI products.
The Aquarius MAS a is highly flexible performance management, alarm handling & reporting platform that has been developed using the proven & reliable KEI 3240 Data Logger system architecture. A basic Aquarius MAS package is able to monitor fuel consumption, emissions & engine performance thus providing a cost-effective means by which ship owners can improve vessel efficiency and reduce fuel costs.
Tsukasa Nakagawa, President of KEI System said “The Aquarius Innovation Lab will allow us to develop with EMP a range of innovative technologies that will reduce fuel consumption on ships and also lower the noxious gas emissions from these vessels”.
Greg Atkinson of Eco Marine Power commented that “The establishment of the Aquarius Innovation Lab is another major step forward for Eco Marine Power and strengthens our relationship with KEI System. We look forward to working with KEI in bringing a range of innovative renewable energy and fuel saving solutions to the shipping market.”
Starting from mid-December a complete prototype of the Aquarius MRE System including an EnergySail & computer system will start the final phase of testing in the lab before sea trials which are scheduled to commence during 2014.
About KEI System Ltd
KEI System Co. Ltd. is developer of a range of type approved control and computers systems used in the shipping industry including the KEI 3240 Data Logger and KEI 3240 Valve Control System. KEI also undertakes development work into such areas as real time control systems used for monitoring, instrumentation and control applications both for marine and land use. The company is based in Osaka, Japan.
For more information about KEI please visit: www.kei-system.co.jp
About Eco Marine Power
Eco Marine Power Co. Ltd. is an internationally focused technology company based in Fukuoka, Japan, that designs innovative eco-friendly solar, wind, electric and hybrid marine power and propulsion solutions. The company also develops sustainable ship concepts that incorporate the latest renewable energy technologies and is currently working on a number of design projects including the Aquarius MRE (Mainre Renewable Energy) System, EnergySail, Aquarius Eco Ship, Aquarius USV and Medaka eco-commuter ferry.
To read more about Eco Marine Power please visit: www.ecomarinepower.com
Media Enquiries
Greg Atkinson (Eco Marine Power)
Phone: +81 92 287 9677 Mobile: +81 90 1369 7568 (Japan)
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aquarius MRE System, Aquarius MAS & EnergySail are trademarks of Eco Marine Power Co. Ltd.
