News Releases in 2008

March 18, 2008

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK; head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; president: Koji Miyahara), in collaboration with the Forecast Ocean Partnership (FOP), has completed a detailed study of the ocean-current forecasts provided by FOP and is putting the data to practical use in saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

The ocean-current forecasts offered by FOP provide information on current-flow distributions every 10 miles (about 18 kilometers) within the Kuroshio region, which is much more detailed than conventional ocean-current forecasting. The more detailed FOP forecasts enable NYK vessels to take maximum advantage of the Kuroshio flow, thereby saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

The study of the FOP forecasts was conducted between 2006 and 2007, using data collected on 23 voyages by 13 VLCCs (Very Large Crude-Oil Carriers). The results confirmed that the FOP information was effective in saving fuel consumption and lowering CO2 emissions by up to 9 percent in the Kuroshio region. NYK will start a full implementation of FOP forecasts for NYK VLCC operations later this month.

The study and its use is part of NYK’s ongoing commitment to lower fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions.

The Forecast Ocean Partnership
The FOP is an enterprise association established and managed by researchers at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. The FOP representative is Prof. Toshio Yamagata of the Graduate School of Science at Tokyo University. JAMSTEC has applied a part of its research results gained through investigations of the earth, focusing on oceans, to contribute to the future development of society by supporting the activities of the FOP.