Tokyo University News

The provider of energy industry solutions Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) announced that the company has delivered a mobile 30kW hydrogen fuel cell system, which volume per unit power output is reduced to 1/3 compared to the stationary fuel cell systems, to a fuel cell ship.The fuel cell ship, which passed the Temporary Navigation Permit Inspection of Japan Craft Inspection Organization on October 30, has started demonstrations of the verification by NREG Toshiba Building Corporation and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT).The newly mobile 30 kW pure hydrogen fuel cells system developed by Toshiba ESS will be available to install for vessels, railways and trucks. Hydrogen is used as fuel, allowing electricity to be generated without CO2.

Japanese shipping major MOL Group announced the completion of a demonstration test (from December 2018 to February 2019) using the TUMST training ship Shioji Maru for their proposed joint demonstration project related to the safety of vessels' auto berthing and un-berthing.The project, jointly run by Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding (MES-S), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMST) and Akishima Laboratories (Mitsui Zosen) Inc, was selected for Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT)'s FY2018 autonomous vessel demonstration project.The project team completed a total of 54 auto berthing operations using a virtual pier set on the open water…

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) formulated MOL Group Environmental Vision 2030 to present our cutting-edge initiatives for environmental preservation."Shpping companies are responsible for undertaking the marine transportation vital to the infrastructure underpinning people's daily lives worldwide," it said.MOL established a policy to equip its vessels with ballast water treatment systems in fiscal year 2014, ahead of the issuance of the Ballast Water Management Convention in September 2017.As of April 2019, 142 MOL Group-owned vessels are equipped with ballast water treatment systems. Ballast water treatment systems protect marine biodiversity by reducing the trans-boundary movement of microbes and bacteria contained in ballast water…

Japenese marine transportation company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced that MOL, MOL Techno-Trade, the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI), and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) jointly conducted an assessment and feasibility study on advanced navigation support systems, using the NMRI-owned ship handling risk simulator, which has a horizontal view angle of 240°C.On watch-keeping during ship operations, mariners must first be able to see an object, and then judge whether that object poses a risk to the vessel. If that is the case, the vessel must take some action to avoid the risk, such as veering…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced a plan to issue green bonds (its 20th and 21st series unsecured corporate bonds) through a public offering in Japan's domestic market. It also announced the acquisition of a second opinion from a third-party institute.Japan's 1st Green Bonds are aimed at individual investors. Green bonds are used to raise funds for businesses aimed at protecting and improving the environment.MOL established the MOL Group Environmental Vision 2030 in April 2017, and designated environment-related and emission-free businesses as core activities in its "Rolling Plan 2018" management plan.Main use of funds:-Ballast water…

Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding (MES-S), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMST), Akishima Laboratories (Mitsui Zosen)  announced that on July 25, their proposed joint demonstration project related to the safety of vessels' auto berthing and un-berthing was selected for Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT)'s FY2018 autonomous vessel demonstration project.Human errors account for 80% of marine accidents, and since automated and autonomous operations of vessels can significantly reduce human errors, they have the potential to make a great contribution to reducing marine accidents.Furthermore…

Mitsui O.S.K. This project is a part of MOL's initiative to assess the effectiveness of AI technology, and aims to reduce fuel consumption and vessels' environmental impact by verifying the accuracy of the technology, using Fujitsu's AI Technology to estimate vessel performance at sea. MOL provided actual voyage data collected from MOL fleet in operation to Fujitsu Laboratories, which, along with Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, verified the data by using their jointly developed machine learning method. Verification methods: Learned the correlation of each item of operation data using Fujitsu's unique AI technology and high-dimensional statistics analysis technology, and established the technology that estimates vessel performance.

Fujitsu Laboratories  announced that it has conducted a trial of a ship performance estimation technology(1) together with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Ube Shipping & Logistics, Ltd. Developed by Fujitsu Laboratories and Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT), the technology can predict figures such as ship speed and fuel consumption. The results of the trial showed that the technology is capable of estimating ship performance with an estimated margin of error under 1.5%, both on the ocean and near the coast, and in a variety of weather and wave conditions. With this technology, it is possible for operators to accurately predict ship courses that will reduce fuel consumption, leading to lower fuel costs.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced that its joint project with Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. on developing a technological concept for autonomous ocean transport system, was selected by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT) for its FY2017 Transportation Research and Technology Promotion Program (Note) on May 16, 2017. The research consortium of the project is comprised of MOL, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, the National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), Japan Ship Technology Research Association, and Akishima Laboratories (Mitsui Zosen) Inc.

Philippine-born Ananya Surangpimol won a prestigious scholarship to Japan in 1971 and, after a year of intensive Japanese, entered Tokyo University of Fisheries, one of the first Asian women to do so in a former all-male imperial university. There she completed a master’s degree in food science but one of her favorite memories of her attendance at this former naval academy was being required to swim a kilometer in the open sea and row a big 12-oar cutter in her freshman year.

“No new fishing vessel has been (added) during the period,” says the email we get from Japan’s largest seafood company, Maruha Nichiro Corp. A year earlier, they had bought shares in New Zealand outfit, Sanford, which had just chartered a Nordic-looking vessel. Seafood rival, Nissui, had just done the same, buying New Zealand and Nordic. That all happened after the Naval Architect’s Society of Japan said a vessel based on the Icelandic design of Reykjavik’s Navis was its Ship of the Year.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) donated vessel photographs to nine maritime educational institutes in Japan in commemoration of the 130th anniversary of its foundation. On September 25, MOL Managing Executive Officer Takaaki Inoue presented a vessel photo to Yuji Hayashi, Head of the Faculty of Maritime Sciences at Kobe University. Hayashi responded, “Students will be captivated by the sight of this merchant vessel and set their life goals. On September 30, in a donation ceremony at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology…

After three years, Osamu Suzuki is retiring as the President/CEO and Chairman of MOL (America) Inc. Mr. Suzuki held numerous positions world-wide since joining MOL in 1973. His liner division experience began in 1984 when he became a Long Beach, California Representative. He served as General Manager of the Liner Division and Managing Director of MOL (Asia) before being appointed to MOL (America) Inc.’s top position in 2005. Suzuki accepted a post-retirement position as Executive Vice President of MOL Ferry Co., Ltd., Japan. Replacing Suzuki as MOL America’s new President/CEO and Chairman will be Noboru Kitazawa. A graduate of Tokyo University, Mr. Kitazawa is a 33-year MOL Liner veteran. He comes to the U.S.