TSUBASA

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NYK's eco tugboat receives 2013 Marine Engineering of the Year award

Tsubasa, an environment-friendly tugboat owned by Wing Maritime Service Corporation, an NYK Group company, has been bestowed the 2013 Marine Engineering of the Year award by the Japan Institute of Marine Engineering, the company said in its press release. On July 30, 2014, a joint awards ceremony was held by three maritime institutes — the Japan Institute of Marine Engineering, the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineering, and the Japan Institute of Navigation. Representatives from the five other companies1 involved in the collaborative development of the tug joined Wing Maritime Service president Toshinori Yamashita to receive the award. From NYK Line, Junichi Iwano, general manager of the company’s Technical Group, attended the ceremony. Tsubasa is the first tug in Japan to be equipped with a hybrid propulsion system. The vessel’s batteries can be charged via electric power from land, thus resulting in a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions. In fact, Tsubasa emitted 20 percent less CO2 in port during fiscal 2013. This tug’s energy conservation and the resulting reduction in environmental load were highly evaluated by the Japan Institute of Marine Engineering, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2014. The Marine Engineering of the Year designation is a special award that recognizes superior results in technological development in the field of marine engineering and equipment.

NYK celebrates Japan's 1st environmentally-friendly tugboat

On March 27, 2013 Wing Maritime Service Corporation held a ceremony in Yokohama Port to mark the entry into service of the NYK Group’s tugboat "Tsubasa"(Gross Tonnage: 256 tons) featuring a hybrid propulsion system, said in the company's press release. A preview of the “Tsubasa” was also held on the same day and was attended by Yokohama deputy mayor Nobuya Suzuki and a number of other guests. At the ceremony after the preview, the vessel was presented with a video provided by the tugboat builder Keihin Dock Co. Ltd. and Niigata Power Systems Co.,Ltd. Since March 15, "Tsubasa" has been used in towing operations which help large vessels get into and out of ports, mainly at the port of Yokohama and Kawasaki. She is equipped with a motor generator and high-performance rechargeable batteries in addition to conventional diesel engines. Capable of operating solely on her diesel engines or on her electric-motors depending upon the operating power needed, a fuel-efficient and low CO2 emission performance is achieved.