IINO LINES announced on July 31, 2024, that it will collaborate with the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Idemitsu Tanker to conduct observations of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the Indian Ocean using a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). The VLCC, named “FUJISAN MARU” (built by Namura Shipbuilding in 2020, with a deadweight tonnage of 310,000 tons), will be equipped with atmospheric observation devices, and the observations are planned to start around the end of the 2024 fiscal year.
This observation initiative in the Indian Ocean is part of the research led by the National Institute for Environmental Studies on “Understanding the Dynamics of GHG and Short-lived Climate Forcers (SLCF) in the Atmosphere through Multi-Platform Observations.”
The “FUJISAN MARU,” completed in 2020, is owned by IINO LINES and chartered by Idemitsu Tanker. Its main route is between the Middle East and Japan, making it well-suited for observations in the Indian Ocean.
The purpose of these observations is to contribute to understanding the global distribution of GHG and carbon cycle mechanisms, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality, through GHG observations utilizing ships that travel over wide areas.
The National Institute for Environmental Studies is promoting long-term observation of global environmental changes across various fields. To monitor the global atmospheric distribution and increase in GHG concentrations, they conduct high-precision GHG concentration observations using diverse platforms, including ground stations, commercial ships, and aircraft.
Ship-based observations have been conducted for many years in the Pacific Ocean. However, there was a need to expand the observation network to include the Indian Ocean, which has been a gap area in observations, in order to improve the accuracy of emission and absorption analysis of GHG.
〆飯野海運（IINO LINES）はＶＬＣＣ（大型原油タンカー）を活用しインド洋上でのＧＨＧ（温室効果ガス）の観測を実施する。
飯野海運は２０２４年７月31日、国立環境研究所（National Institute for Environmental Studies）、出光タンカー（Idemitsu Tanker）と共同で、ＶＬＣＣ（大型原油タンカー）を活用しインド洋上でのＧＨＧ（温室効果ガス）の観測を実施すると発表した。ＶＬＣＣ「富士山丸」（FUJISAN MARU、名村造船所（Namura Shipbuilding）で２０２０年に竣工、３１万重量トン）に大気観測装置を設置し、２０２４年度末ごろから観測を行う予定だ。
今回のインド洋上でのＧＨＧの観測は、国環研が主導する「マルチプラットフォーム観測による大気中のＧＨＧとＳＬＣＦ（Short‐lived Climate Forcer、短寿命気候強制因子）動態の把握」に関する研究の一環である。
２０２０年に竣工した「富士山丸」は飯野海運が所有し、出光タンカーが用船している。主要航路は中東―日本で、インド洋上での観測に適していると判断された。
Photo courtesy = IINO LINES, Idemitsu, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Namura shipbuilding