The e5 Project (commercially registered as e5 Lab Co., Ltd., trading as e5 Lab Inc., and alternatively known as the e5 Consortium) is a Japanese
consortium
A consortium () is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations, or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a ...
with the purpose of developing renewably-powered commercial ships.
History
Founded in August 2019,
the e5 Project originally consisted of Asahi Tanker Co. Ltd., Exeno Yamamizu Corporation,
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., and
Mitsubishi Corporation
is a Japanese general trading company ( ''sogo shosha'') and a core member of the Mitsubishi Group. For much of the post-war period, Mitsubishi Corporation has been the largest of the five great ''sogo shosha'' (Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Itochu, S ...
. After founding,
Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.,
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd., and
Tokyo Electric Power Company
is a Japanese electric utility holding company servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo. Its headquarters are located in Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, an ...
joined the partnership.
The name "e5" refers to the five "focus points" of the partnership: electrification, environment, evolution, efficiency, and economics.
In October 2019, the e5 powertrain design was certified for use by the Japanese
.
Connectivity and software
Marine broadband project
In November 2019, e5 announced a collaboration with
SoftBank Group
is a Japanese multinational investment holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, that focuses on investment management. The group primarily invests in companies operating in technology that offer goods and services to customers in a m ...
to develop a marine broadband network. In the first trial, planned for January through May 2020, ships would "be equipped with flat antennas and local wireless stations", before a longer trial between January 2021 and March 2022 in which
SoftBank
is a Japanese multinational Investment company, investment holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, that focuses on investment management. The group primarily invests in companies operating in technology that offer goods and services ...
and
OneWeb
OneWeb Communications Ltd., doing business as Eutelsat OneWeb, is a subsidiary of the French group Eutelsat providing broadband satellite Internet services in low Earth orbit (LEO). The company is headquartered in London, and has offices in P ...
will test a new satellite communication system designed to develop autonomous or remotely-controlled ships. The software was successfully trialled in February 2020.
The company tested new software designed to allow for the remote operation of ships on 11–12 November 2020.
Marindows
Ship design projects
Commercial ship design is the focal point of the e5 Project. It has completed its first two designs, the e5 Tanker and Tug, and is developing a third.
Both completed e5 designs are capable of ship-to-shore power supply in the event of an emergency.
Tanker
The e5 Tanker claims to be the first fully electric oil tanker, powered by a 3.5 MWh battery which is projected to "run non-stop for 10 hours on a half-capacity battery".
The ship will include a high level of automation
and will be charged using wind and solar energy to further reduce emissions that would be incurred in charging the ship.
Asahi Tanker Co. are currently constructing two ships of the e5 Tanker design, the first of which will be completed by March 2022 and the second in March 2023, revised from an original completion target of 2021.
The tanker is expected to mainly operate in
Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...
.
Some commentators have called attention to the irony of an electric oil tanker, as the ships deliver fuel which causes pollution several times more severe.
Tug
By October 2019, e5 Lab had designed a tugboat that would run on a mixture of electricity and hydrogen fuel cells, produced with the advice of Tokyo Kisen.
It will operate in Yokohama Port and Kawasaki Port and is expected to enter service in 2022.
Car carrier
The proposed car carrier, to be developed with the assistance of
Mitsui O.S.K.,
would be powered by a mixture of
liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume o ...
and hydrogen cell generated electricity. Unlike e5 Lab's other projects, it would not be emission free, but would produce reduced emissions.
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://e5ship.com/
ROBOSHIP project website
Electric boats
Japanese companies established in 2019
Consortia