The Toyota Vehicle Distribution Center at the Port of Long Beach. The world's first cargo ship partly propelled by solar power took to the seas on Friday in Japan, aiming to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions when automakers export their products

The world’s first solar cargo ship carrying over 6,400 Toyota’s automobiles left Japan on Friday, aiming to reduce fuel cost and carbon emissions.

Auriga Leader, a freighter developed by shipping line Nippon Yusen K.K. and oil distributor Nippon Oil Corp., took off from a shipyard in the western city of Kobe, officials of the two firms said.

The cargo ship is about 60,213-tonne, 200-metre (660-foot) long and its the first large vessel in the world with a solar-based propulsion system. Its equipped with 328 solar panels at a cost of 1.68 million dollars.

The solar power system can generate 40 kilowatts, which would initially cover only 0.2 percent of the ship’s energy consumption for propulsion.

Nippon Yusen, Japan’s largest shipping company, has set a goal of halving its fuel consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions by 2010.

Via Yahoo