Shipbuilding company Kawasaki Heavy Industries has signed a contract for the build of an 86,700m3 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied ammonia gas (NH3 ) carrier for Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha. The vessel will be powered by LPG fuel.
The vessel – the fourth LPG/NH3 carrier for Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha – will be equipped with separate cargo tanks that have been developed to carry LPG and NH3 simultaneously. The cargo tanks have a greater capacity than other conventional carriers, without major changes being made to the ship’s length or width.
By running on low-sulfur fuel oil and LPG, the vessel’s sulfur oxides (SOX), CO2 and other exhaust gas pollutants will be greatly reduced, ensuring that it meets SOX emission standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and also the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index Phase 3 regulations, which adopted stricter CO2 emission standards for 2022.
The cargo carrier will also benefit from a shaft generator to convert the rotational energy of the main engine into electric power. This will enable the vessel to stop the running of all diesel generators under normal seagoing conditions.
To meet ever-tightening maritime environmental standards, Kawasaki plans to develop and build more sustainable LPG-fueled LPG carriers and other commercial vessels, in addition to developing other eco-friendly marine technologies.
The shipbuilder aims to complete the construction of the vessel at its Sakaide Works in Japan in 2025.
