Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (K Line) announced its overseas subsidiary had installed a solar power generation system on the Ocean Breeze roof. The building was constructed in 2018 to strengthen and expand the K Line Maritime Academy Philippines (KLMA) training facility for Filipino seafarers in Pasay City, Metro Manila. The system covers the electricity use of KLMA, which is located adjacent to the Ocean Breeze building.
KLMA is a comprehensive training facility that provides education and training using actual equipment for seafarers of all nationalities on K Line-operated vessels. The facility is equipped with the latest ship handling simulator, an engine room simulator, and a platform replicating an engine room for hazard simulation training. The Ocean Breeze building was fully furnished in March 2018 with a clinic for seafarers equipped with the latest medical equipment and accommodations for 225 trainees and ready to receive 10,000 trainees annually.
After the spread of Covid-19, the accommodations were also used as a pre-boarding isolation facility and vaccination center. KLMA has been operating since the time of its predecessor K Line Maritime Training Corp (KMTC) in 1993. The Philippines, which has a mild climate and long hours of sunshine throughout the year, is in an ideal region to harness solar power, and the location of the training facility is in a sunny seaside area. The system can generate more than 150 kWh of electricity to satisfy KLMA’s energy requirement.
K Line is one of Japan’s largest transportation companies. It owns and/or controls large cargo ships, including dry cargo ships (bulk carriers), container ships, container terminals, liquefied natural gas carriers, ro-ro ships, and tankers. The K Line Group has stated that it would continue efforts to reduce its negative environmental impact, both at sea and shore. (Story and photo courtesy of K Line)