Eco Marine Power

Eco Marine Power is a Fukuoka-based Japanese marine technology company focused on renewable-energy and energy-efficiency systems for ships and other vessels. Founded in July 2010 by Ohori Capital, the company was established to develop practical alternatives to conventional marine power generation by combining wind energy, solar power, electrical storage, computer control, and other efficiency technologies. The company’s central development program is the Aquarius project, later associated with the patented Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy system, or Aquarius MRE. The concept is designed primarily for larger commercial vessels, including bulk carriers, general cargo ships, cruise liners, vehicle carriers, roll-on/roll-off vessels, and potentially tankers. Rather than replacing a ship’s main propulsion system outright, the approach is intended to supplement onboard power and reduce fuel use and emissions. Its main components include automatically controlled rigid sails, marine-grade photovoltaic panels, energy-storage modules, charging equipment, sensors, and marine computers. The rigid sails are based on Eco Marine Power’s EnergySail technology. Unlike conventional fabric sails, EnergySails are engineered structures that can carry solar panels, sensors, and other power-generation or monitoring equipment. A control system can position the sails according to weather and operating conditions, while the sails can be lowered or stored during unsuitable weather. The system is also intended to provide useful energy while a vessel is at anchor or in port, extending its potential beyond propulsion assistance at sea. Eco Marine Power began work on the Aquarius concept in 2010 and announced in February 2011 that it would continue after completing a feasibility study. In 2015, it deployed its first marine solar-power installation on Blue Star Delos, a high-speed passenger and car ferry operated by Blue Star Ferries in Greece. This work helped demonstrate the use of marine solar generation on an operating commercial vessel. In 2016, the company announced that it had received a patent covering elements of its renewable-energy system for ships. In May 2021, ClassNK granted approval in principle to Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy with EnergySail. The company has also presented broader vessel concepts. The Aquarius Eco Ship concept combines the Aquarius MRE system with fuel cells, low-power lighting, energy-efficiency measures, and other technologies. It was described primarily as a design for a large bulk carrier or general cargo ship, while also being adaptable to other commercial vessel types. The Tonbo HMP ferry concept, unveiled in 2011, was designed for the tourist-vessel market and specified capacity for approximately 250 passengers. It combined rooftop solar panels, lithium batteries, and an onboard biofuel generator. Eco Marine Power’s development network has included Teramoto Iron Works, The Furukawa Battery Company, and KEI System. Furukawa Battery has supplied battery technology for Aquarius systems, KEI System has worked with Eco Marine Power on monitoring and automation, and Teramoto Iron Works has been identified as a manufacturing center for battery frames, solar-panel frames, and EnergySail structures. The company has promoted its technology in Japan and internationally in partnership with Ohori Capital. Eco Marine Power has received international attention for its renewable marine-power concepts. It was nominated for the Sustainable Shipping Awards in 2011 and the Katerva Awards in 2012, and received a 2012 Solutions Inspiring Action Award from the Savannah Ocean Exchange. Publicly available reference material emphasizes technology development, demonstrations, design concepts, partnerships, and classification approval; it does not establish the company’s revenue, production scale, or commercial fleet penetration.

Eco Marine Power was founded in Fukuoka, Japan, in July 2010 by Ohori Capital. Its stated purpose was to develop renewable-energy options for ships and other vessels, with an emphasis on technologies that could be integrated into existing commercial fleets. The company’s work has focused on combining wind, solar, batteries, and computerized control rather than relying on a single alternative-energy source. The principal research and development effort began in July 2010 under the Aquarius project. The intended system was designed for large vessels and was conceived for installation on existing ships with limited maintenance demands on crews. After a feasibility study, Eco Marine Power announced in February 2011 that it would continue the project. During the same period, it publicized the Tonbo HMP ferry concept, a tourist vessel designed for about 250 passengers. Tonbo was specified with roof-mounted solar panels, lithium batteries, and a biofuel generator, with its energy-management system intended to support an economically viable operating model. The Aquarius program evolved into Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy, or Aquarius MRE. Its design integrates rigid sails, marine solar panels, energy-storage modules, a charging system, sensors, and marine computers. The rigid sails are based on the company’s EnergySail technology and are intended to be automatically positioned to make use of prevailing wind conditions. They can also be lowered or stored in poor weather or when not required. Because the EnergySail structures can carry photovoltaic panels and monitoring equipment, they are designed to contribute both wind-assisted energy and solar generation. The concept can operate while a vessel is underway and may also produce energy while the vessel is at anchor or in port. A related product line, Aquarius Marine Solar Power, reached a shipboard demonstration in 2015. The first reported installation was placed on Blue Star Delos, a high-speed car and passenger ferry operated by Blue Star Ferries in Greece. The demonstration was subsequently analyzed in technical literature concerning marine solar-power trials. In 2016, Eco Marine Power announced that it had obtained a patent covering elements of its shipboard renewable-energy system. Eco Marine Power also developed the Aquarius Eco Ship concept as a broader low-emission vessel design. The concept combines Aquarius MRE with fuel cells, low-power lighting, and other energy-efficiency measures. It was primarily associated with large bulk carriers and general cargo ships, but the company indicated that the approach could be applied to vehicle carriers, roll-on/roll-off ships, oil tankers, and LNG tankers. Teramoto Iron Works, The Furukawa Battery Company, and KEI System were identified as collaborating companies. Furukawa Battery supplied battery technology, KEI System worked on monitoring and automation, and Teramoto Iron Works supported manufacturing of structural frames and EnergySail components. The company’s work has been accompanied by industry recognition. Eco Marine Power was nominated for the Sustainable Shipping Awards in 2011 and the Katerva Awards in 2012. It received a 2012 Solutions Inspiring Action Award from the Savannah Ocean Exchange. These recognitions reflected interest in its proposed use of renewable power in ocean shipping, although the available reference material does not establish broad commercial deployment or large-scale production. On 26 May 2021, ClassNK granted approval in principle to Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy with EnergySail. This was a significant classification-related development because approval in principle indicates that a concept or system has been reviewed against relevant technical and safety considerations, while it does not by itself establish full commercial certification or widespread adoption. Public sources identify Greg Atkinson as Eco Marine Power’s founder and chief technology officer and list an advisory board including Yoshitaka Teramoto, Hidenori Matsumoto, and Akihito Suzuki. The company’s publicly documented identity remains that of a specialist developer of renewable and energy-efficiency technologies for marine applications.

• 2021

  ClassNK approval in principle

  [1]Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org

  ClassNK granted approval in principle to Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy with EnergySail.

• 2016

  Aquarius MRE patent announced

  [1]Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org

  Eco Marine Power announced a patent covering elements of its renewable-energy system for ships.

• 2015

  First Aquarius Marine Solar Power deployment

  [1]Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org

  A marine solar-power system was installed on Blue Star Delos in Greece.

• 2011

  Aquarius feasibility work continued

  [1]Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org

  Eco Marine Power announced continuation of the project after completing a successful feasibility study.

• 2011

  Tonbo HMP ferry concept unveiled

  [1]Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org

  The company presented a solar- and battery-assisted ferry concept for approximately 250 passengers.

• 2010

  Company founded in Fukuoka

  [1]Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org

  Ohori Capital founded Eco Marine Power in July 2010 to develop renewable-energy systems for ships and other vessels.

• 2010

  Aquarius project launched

  [1]Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org

  The company began developing a wind- and solar-energy system intended for large vessels and potential retrofit installation.

A specialist marine-technology developer positioned around practical renewable-energy integration for commercial vessels, combining wind-assisted power, marine solar generation, batteries, automation, and energy-efficiency measures to reduce fuel consumption and vessel emissions.

• Integrated marine renewable-energy system

  Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy

  Aquarius MRE is Eco Marine Power’s integrated wind- and solar-energy system for ships. It combines automatically controlled rigid sails, marine-grade photovoltaic panels, energy-storage modules, charging equipment, sensors, and marine computers. The rigid sails are designed to adjust to weather conditions and to be lowered or stored when necessary. The system is intended to supplement conventional ship power, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and potentially generate energy while a vessel is underway, at anchor, or in port.

• Rigid sail and marine energy device

  EnergySail

  EnergySail is a rigid sail technology developed for marine renewable-energy applications. Its structure can be configured with photovoltaic panels, sensors, and other power-generation or monitoring equipment. Unlike conventional sails, it is intended to operate as part of an automated shipboard energy system, with computer-controlled positioning and the ability to be lowered or stored in unsuitable conditions.

• Marine solar-power system · 2015

  Aquarius Marine Solar Power

  Aquarius Marine Solar Power is Eco Marine Power’s shipboard solar-generation solution. Its first reported deployment took place in 2015 on Blue Star Delos, a high-speed passenger and car ferry operated by Blue Star Ferries in Greece. The system is intended to integrate marine photovoltaic generation with vessel electrical systems and, where applicable, batteries and energy-management controls.

• Low-emission vessel design concept

  Aquarius Eco Ship

  Aquarius Eco Ship is a conceptual low-emission commercial vessel design built around Aquarius MRE. The concept adds fuel cells, low-power lighting, and other energy-efficiency measures to the rigid-sail, solar, storage, and automation package. It was described primarily for bulk carriers and general cargo ships, with possible application to vehicle carriers, roll-on/roll-off vessels, and oil or LNG tankers.

• Hybrid marine passenger-vessel concept · 2011

  Tonbo HMP ferry

  Tonbo HMP is a ferry design concept for the tourist-vessel market with stated capacity for approximately 250 passengers. Its proposed power architecture includes rooftop solar panels, lithium batteries, and an onboard biofuel generator. The design was intended to use an energy-management system to coordinate these sources and to support operation in waterways where bridge clearance makes tall conventional sails impractical.

• 2015Blue Star Delos marine solar-power demonstration

  Greece · Commercial passenger ferry

  Eco Marine Power deployed its first reported Aquarius Marine Solar Power system on Blue Star Delos, a high-speed car and passenger ferry operated by Blue Star Ferries.

  Outcome. The installation provided a real-vessel demonstration of the company’s marine solar-power approach and was later discussed in technical analysis of marine solar trials.

  Source

• 2021

  Obtain approval in principle for Aquarius MRE with EnergySailOther

  Background

  Classification review was relevant to the proposed use of rigid sails and integrated renewable-energy equipment on commercial vessels.

  Action taken

  ClassNK granted approval in principle to Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy with EnergySail.

  Aftermath

  The approval strengthened the system’s technical and classification profile, although it did not by itself demonstrate full commercial certification or broad fleet deployment.

  Source

• 2015

  Deploy Aquarius Marine Solar Power on Blue Star DelosProduct launch

  Background

  The company sought to validate marine solar generation in an operating commercial-vessel environment.

  Action taken

  Eco Marine Power installed its first reported marine solar-power system on Blue Star Delos in Greece.

  Aftermath

  The installation became a documented field demonstration and subject of later technical analysis.

  Source

• 2010

  Launch development of integrated renewable marine powerStrategy

  Background

  Eco Marine Power was established to provide lower-emission power options for ships by combining wind, solar, electrical storage, and automation.

  Action taken

  The company initiated the Aquarius project for large-vessel applications, including possible installation on existing ships.

  Aftermath

  The Aquarius program became the foundation for the company’s subsequent marine solar, EnergySail, and Aquarius MRE work.

  Source

1. 1Eco Marine Poweren.wikipedia.org