TOKYO, Jan 10, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Today, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group based in Yokohama, held a christening and launch ceremony for the second of two ferries currently under construction for Hankyu Ferry Co, Ltd. The new vessel, named "Yamato," will be handed over in June 2020 after completion of rigging work. Together with the simultaneously ordered "Settsu," which was christened and launched last August, the "Yamato" will serve on the company's Shinmoji-Kobe route.

Christening and Launch Ceremony of "Yamato"

The well-attended ceremony was held at the Enoura Plant of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.'s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. After the formal christening by Hankyu Ferry President & CEO Akira Ogasawara, the ceremonial rope cutting was performed by Nozomi Kobayashi, who serves as ambassador of seagoing travel for the Japan Passengerboat Association.

The "Yamato," like its sister ship "Settsu," is 195m long, 29.6m wide, 20.6m deep, and has a draft of 6.7m and gross tonnage of approximately 16,300 tons. The ferry has a holding capacity of 663 passengers, approximately 277 trucks (max. length: 8.5m) and roughly 188 passenger cars. Cargo handling facilities consist of two side ramp/doors and another ramp/door at the stern. The vessel's design concept is "a relaxing voyage gazing at the stars and sea," and the interior is appointed with features in the image of the retro buildings at Moji Port. The uppermost passenger deck, located on the seventh story, is especially spacious. Here, travelers can enjoy a thrilling cruise peering out the ship's largest windows, affording sweeping views of a star-studded sky and the Seto Inland Sea.

For environmental harmony, a roughly 6% increase in energy efficiency has been achieved compared to earlier vessels, due mainly to the adoption of a new, optimal hull type. The "Yamato" is also outfitted with an exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubber) that controls airborne emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx), to satisfy new regulations going into effect this year in all marine areas.Going forward, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will continue to construct passenger/cargo ships and transport vessels that offer superlative transport capacity, comfort, fuel efficiency, and environmental performance, in order to help resolve various issues together with its customers, vitalize marine transport and contribute to environmental protection.

About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial firms. For more than 130 years, we have channeled big thinking into solutions that move the world forward - advancing the lives of everyone who shares our planet. We deliver innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries, covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI Group employs 80,000 people across 400 locations, operating in three business domains: "Power Systems," "Industry & Infrastructure," "Aircraft, Defense & Space." We have a consolidated revenue of around 40 billion U.S. Dollars. We aim to contribute to environmental sustainability while achieving global growth, using our leading-edge technologies. By bringing people and ideas together as one, we continue to pave the way to a future of shared success.

For more information, please visit MHI's website: https://www.mhi.com For Technology, Trends and Tangents, visit MHI's new online media SPECTRA: https://spectra.mhi.com

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