The day is close when shipyards with an entirely new image different from anything seen in the past will emerge.
4. The Advancement of Shipbuilding Technology and the Creation of New Demand
Research is being undertaken that focuses on the develop ment of high-speed cargo ships (typically the TSL) and on infrastructure improvements that, for example, will increase the speed and efficiency of cargo loading and unloading to levels appropriate to high-speed marine transport.
In the area of marine diesel engines as well, Advanced Diesel Engine Development (ADD) is being pursued with the aim of achieving high dependability and maintenance-free engines.
Additionally, as research advances to make available for practical use gigantic scale floating structures designed to optimize the utilization of oceanic space, and as shipbuilding technology continues to forge ahead, expectations are that these developments will lead to the creation of new demand to be met by shipbuilders.
4-1 The Development of TSL and High-Speed Car Ferries
In order to shift domestic cargo transport away from trucking and to marine haulage, the following developments must occur： the shortening of lead times, moving schedules to a daily basis, increasing the size of capacity, and enhancing speed.
The focus of high-speed marine cargo transport has been on the development of the Techno Super-Liner (TSL). In fiscal 1995, cargo carrying experiment was conducted using a large test ship, and the test demonstrated the practical usefulness of the TSL-A. In 1997, this test vessel, shown in Photo 1, was converted into a combined car ferrycum-rescue boat called the KIBOU. Commercialization the TSL is now under study.
While the TSL-A has achieved a speed of over 50 knots, promoting continued modal shift to marine transport will demand further research in critical areas such as the development of a ship design that holds the prospect of greater operational profitability and the development of high-performance environmentally friendly engines.
4-2 Advanced Diesel Engine Development (ADD)
ADD research and development was began in 1998, with the support of the Ministry of Transport as well as the Nippon Foundation, as one of the subsidization schemes undertaken by the Association for Structural Improvement of the Shipbuilding Industry. The goal of the project, launched in 1989, is to make feasible a medium-speed marine diesel engine that is more powerful, more fuel efficient, lighter in weight, and more reliable than conventional engines.
