A coal ship partly powered by wind using a hard sail has made its maiden voyage from Japan to Newcastle, arriving in port this morning.
Key points:
- The Shofu Maru is a coal carrier partly powered by wind
- A fibreglass sail on its bow reduces greenhouse gas emissions on the trip from Japan by 5 per cent
- The ship arrived in the Port of Newcastle this morning and will be loaded with 80,000 tonnes of coal
The Shofu Maru can carry 80,000 tonnes of coal and boasts new technology in the form of a telescopic fibreglass sail that can extend to 55 metres.
It's a world-first from shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines, with the sail leading to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The company said, based on early trials, it was expected to use 5 per cent less fuel between Australia and Japan.
The reduction equated to 25,000 litres of fuel, with the vessel normally using 500,000L for a trip of that length.
The sail is expected to cut emissions by 8 per cent on an average trip between Japan and the United States, due to stronger winds in the northern hemisphere.
A delegation greeted the bulk carrier this morning, including Japan's consulate-general in Australia and port authority officials.
Newcastle harbourmaster Captain Vikas Bangia guided it into the Port of Newcastle.
"I'm excited to be a part of the history, to host and have this vessel … coming in with wind-powered generation," he said.
Captain Bangia says the ship's hard sail is operated using hydraulics.
"It can go up to 55 metres in length and gives us a different challenge with the high-windage area in the forward part of the ship," he said.
Practice makes perfect
A lot of preparation went into safely receiving the unconventional ship given its reduced bow visibility and the wind's influence.
"The pilot team and myself went to Japan to practice simulations for entry into Newcastle," Captain Bangia said.
"So our team was looking forward to executing this, which we practised in Japan last month."
It will take 20 hours to load the ship before it departs Newcastle tomorrow.
It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the weekend in Perth.
The two nations signed a joint-security agreement for closer cooperation and both leaders expressed their support for 2050 net-zero targets.