Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has held a christening and launch ceremony for the ‘Oshima Maru’, a training ship for National Institute of Technology (Kosen), Oshima College, at MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Handover is scheduled for March 2023, following completion of interior work and sea trials. The 56.3m long 370gt vessel will go into service providing students with practical training in ocean navigation, and conducting surveys and experiments related to operations and the ocean. The Oshima Maru is the fourth-generation training vessel for the school, and the first new ship since 1993. This is the second vessel Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has built for the school, following the third-generation training ship currently in operation. The vessel is able to serve as a support ship during disasters, such as supplying outboard water and electricity, transport of relief supplies, and providing accommodations.
Consideration has been given to ease of use, while the ship is equipped with an electric propulsion system and lithium-ion batteries, which are expected to provide energy efficiency through parallel operation with the onboard generators, a reduced environmental load by running exclusively on batteries near shore, and reduced inboard noise and vibration.
