The Ship of the Year award is given to innovative ships constructed in the past year based on technical, artistic, and social considerations. The candidate announcement meeting and the selection meeting for the Ship of the Year Award 2024 were held on May 16.
The prize award ceremony, a joint event organized by the JASNAOE, the Japan Institute of Marine Engineering (JIME), and the Japan Institute of Navigation (JIN), the three academic societies in the maritime science sector, took place at the Kaiun Club in Tokyo on July 18.
The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE) unveiled the winners of the Ship of the Year 2024 awards on May 21, 2025. JASNAOE, which recognizes highly technical and artistic vessels as well as those highly rated in society among those constructed in Japan, granted the Ship of the Year 2024 award to the HANARIA, Japan' first passenger ship pioneering in zero emissions that contributes to forming a carbon neutral fleet of domestic ships.
It has a very unique system in the world that allows it to select an energy source for propulsion from hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries or biodiesel fuel. Compared to conventional vessels running on fossil fuels, it can reduce CO2 emissions by 53% to 100%, paving a way toward a low-carbon or decarbonized society.
The ammonia-fueled tugboat SAKIGAKE was developed by three partners--Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., which had support from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK). It was selected in a public solicitation for a New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund project. Since completed in August 2024 as the world's first ammonia-fueled commercial-use vessel, it has been engaged in towing activities in Tokyo Bay and elsewhere, pioneering in the social implementation of ammonia fuel.
The MAHOROBA, a passenger ship running solely on hydrogen fuel cells, was constructed with financial support received in 2021 from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Unlike conventional vessels with internal combustion engines, it is a zero-emission ship that is powered, when in operation, by hydrogen fuel cells that do not emit CO2 or a substance of concern (SoC). On top of high environmental performance, it offers great comfort, releasing no odors and minimizing noise and vibration.
The MAHOROBA is slated to go into commercial service during 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo to encourage as many people as possible to understand what hydrogen can do in a decarbonized society.
Outfit with a gas-only main engine, the SHIMOKITA MARU is the world's first bulk carrier to adopt a hybrid propulsion system having both batteries and a shaft generator/propulsion motor. When in normal operation, it burns no heavy fuel oil (HFO) at all. Instead, it exclusively consumes LNG for propulsion and to meet on-board power demand, realizing HFO removal from marine fuel ahead of others. A load fluctuation control system enables the bulker to maintain load on its main engine at fixed levels. Even when greater propulsive force is required under severe hydrographical conditions, furthermore, its batteries will cover it. Thanks to the system, it can depend solely on its gas engine to smoothly navigate in rough waters like the Tsugaru Straits.
Enjoying several advantages over conventional vessels, such as greater CO2 emission reductions by some 30%, it continues to be commercially operated with high environmental performance.
The KANGEI MARU was constructed to succeed to the NISSHIN MARU, a whaling mothership that had underpinned Japan's whale fishing for over 30 years. Outfit with an electric propulsion system, it is eco-friendlier, and having a large on-board whale factory, it can offer a higher hygienic environment.
As the leader of a whaling fleet, the KANGEI MARU moves forward toward whales with cutting-edge equipment. The factory allows it to complete cutting, processing and shipping preparation tasks on board. Due to
such features, it is an iconic next-generation ship.
JASNAOE
