A large cargo ship equipped with 328 solar panels is now docked at the Port of Long Beach, California as a demonstration project by the port, Toyota and shipping company NYK Line. The ship is the first cargo ship to use solar power for more than just small electrical applications.

The ship, the M/V Auriga Leader, will gather about 10 percent of its electricity needs from the solar panels. While solar panels have been applied to large ships like this before, this is the first example where the solar energy goes directly to the ship’s electrical grid. The ship’s thrusters, hydraulics and steering gear will all receive power from the sun’s rays.