Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company, today held a christening and launch ceremony for the first of two large car ferries ordered by Shinnihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. and Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant of MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The new ferry will serve on a shipping route between the city of Otaru in Hokkaido and Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture.
At the ceremony Shinnihonkai Ferry President Yasuo Iritani christened the new ferry “KEYAKI,” the Japanese word for a species of native Zelkova trees. The ceremonial rope cut was performed by soprano Ayako Tanaka. The ship’s handover is scheduled for December 2025 following completion of outfitting work and sea trials. The KEYAKI is the ninth ferry built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding for Shinnihonkai Ferry.
The KEYAKI is the first ferry in Japan to adopt the latest energy-saving hull form, including a KATANA BOW and buttock-flow stern hull(Note1) with ducktail. Propulsion resistance is suppressed by an energy-saving roll-damping system combining an anti-rolling tank and fin stabilizers. Together these innovations enable a 5% savings in energy compared to earlier vessels.
Japan is currently undergoing a modal shift to sea transport in an effort to mitigate environmental impact by reducing CO2 emissions and to compensate for truck driver shortages arising from workstyle reforms. This shift has brought utilization of ferry transport into sharp relief. Going forward, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will continue to contribute to active use of sea transport and environmental protection, resolving diverse issues together with its business partners through construction of ferries that provide stable sea transport together with outstanding energy and environmental performance.
Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
