Asia/Pacific News
Japanese Engine Firm Falsified Fuel-Efficiency Data for 1,366 Ships
Japanese engine manufacturer Hitachi Zosen has said that it falsified fuel-efficiency data for 1,366 marine engines over the past 25 years.
After an internal investigation of its subsidiaries, Hitachi Zosen Marine Engine and IMEX, the company found that 950 marine engines produced by the former and 416 by the latter had an inaccurate fuel consumption rate recorded for customers in shop trial tests, it said in a statement on its website last week. The investigation went back to 1999.
"On April 24, 2024, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Maritime Bureau issued a reminder to marine engine manufacturers about the importance of thoroughly complying with environmental and safety regulations related to the manufacturing of marine engines and the need for proper business operations," the company said in the statement.
"In response, Hitachi Zosen Marine Engine and IMEX immediately initiated an internal investigation.
"As a result, it was confirmed that there were inappropriate conducts on the 'fuel consumption rate' (inappropriate rewriting of data) recorded in the 'test results of shop trial' submitted to our customers at the shop trial test witnessed by the customer.
"Specifically, the usage of a program which displays a fuel consumption value different from the actual value was confirmed.
"Possible impact on the calculation of 'NOx emission' was confirmed as well.
"Through the interviews to relevant personnel, it was confirmed that the data was altered at the time of shop trial test to keep the fuel consumption rate within the permissible range required in the customerʼs specification and to reduce data variability."
The revelation follows the announcement by rival Japanese firm IHI Corporation in April that since 2003, 4,215 of the 4,881 marine engines it shipped had altered data. That malpractice came to light in February after being reported by an employee.
