Earlier this year the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers selected the CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG for their 2010 Ship of The Year Award to honour the most distinguished ship or marine construction built in Japan during the year.
Built by Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation in Shimonoseki-city; the eco-friendly Roll-on Roll-off car carrier’s unique and innovative design results in better fuel efficiency and lower CO 2 emissions. In particular much praise was given to the manufacturing technology used on her to skilfully reproduce the original concept of a ship with a semi-spherically shaped bow.
Katsuhiko Ochi, President of the Kyokyuo Shipyard commented, “ I would like to respectfully thank the operator Nissan Motor Car Carriers Co., Ltd., for its decision to trust our technical capabilities by accepting our proposal to completely change the outer shell design.”
The semi-spherical stem meant that the wheelhouse windows were slightly more unusual in shape than normal but it presented no problems for the Solar Solve team who were able to design and produce the required 17 SOLASAFE roller screens for the navigation bridge windows exactly to specification.
The benefits of having the screens will be to make life a little easier, safer and less stressful for the crew due to the effectiveness of the SOLASOLV shade film at rejecting glare, heat and uv radiation from the sun as well as glare and cold when outside conditions are wintery.
In addition to being a navigation safety aid that enhances the crews’ quality of life, there is also a payback from air conditioning cost savings when the screens are in use and also a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar Solve Marine’s chairman, John Lightfoot MBE commented, “SOLASOLV products were installed on a number of the Significant Ships of 2009. Knowing the extensive and impressive vessel list we supplied with screens and roller blinds last year we are very confident that ‘City of St. Petersburg’ is the first of many award winning ships of 2010 that Solar Solve will be associated with.”
