MHI Launches Car/Passenger Ferry

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has launched the 10,000GT car/passenger ferry, Ferry Kyoto 2 (HN:1086), at its Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works for the coowners, Meimon Taiyo ferry Co., Ltd. and the Corporation for Advanced Transport and Technology (CATT) of Japan. The ferry will be completed in August 2002. The Ferry Kyoto 2 is the first of two vessels being built for the owners to replace the present ships. The ferry features barrier-free construction for disabled and elderly people. Compared with the existing ships, the new ferry consumes less fuel due to various design improvements. In particular, a ship operation support system using a computer is provided to maintain the optimal operation timetable and calculate fuel consumption.