Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, a Japanese shipping giant, is building a car carrier whose nitrogen emissions are up to 90 percent lower than those of traditional, diesel vessels.
The ship will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which should also cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent, Cnet reports. The carrier will be about 156 yards long with room for 2,000 cars, or 5,000 tons.
Kawasaki Kisen, also known as K Line, started designing the LNG-driven vessel in response to rising fuel prices, Cnet says. The carrier will start operation in 2015 or 2016 in Europe, where legislators are crafting tools to limit emissions from maritime transport, because the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been unable to agree on such measures for over a decade.
Last week the IMO adopted the first mandatory greenhouse gas reduction rules for the shipping industry, but these do not appear to have satisfied the EU.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries will supply the gas engines.