LNG

The latest Japanese ferry newbuilds on order with shipyards in Japan have opted not to have liquefied natural gas as part of the propulsion systems and will instead use exhaust-cleaners known as scrubbers to meet the sulfur cap on emissions from 2020 backed by the International Maritime Organization.

The liquefied natural gas shipping sector has seen its largest number of orders since 2014 as traditional and new entrants sign contracts with South Korean, Japanese and Chinese shipyards for vessels to handle the LNG production surge, while the impact has been felt in average annual charter rates.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding of Japan said it held a naming ceremony for the fourth vessel in a series of five being constructed to ship LNG cargoes from the US Gulf Coast to the main Japanese import terminals.

The 180,000 cubic metres capacity carrier “Noshu Maru” with covered Moss-type storage tanks will be put into regular service transporting LNG from the Freeport LNG plant in Texas for Jera Co. Inc. the LNG supply arm of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and Chubu Electric.

The joint owner of the “Noshu Maru” with Jera is Japanese shipping line Mitsui OSK Lines, which will operate the ship.

“The latest model ‘Sayaringo’ type ship features significant improvements in both LNG carrying capacity and fuel performance due to the adoption of a more efficient hull structure and an innovative hybrid propulsion system” said Mitsubishi.

The christening ceremony was held at Mitsubishi’s Nagasaki Shipyard and was attended by representatives of the ship owners and their guests.

Mitsubishi said that Chubu Electric Power President, Satoru Katsuno, announced the name of the ship while his wife performed the ceremonial rope cutting.

The “Noshu Maru” is 297.5 metres in length and is 48.94m in width. It has a depth of 27.0m, with a draft of 11.1m. Deadweight tonnage is approximately 80,300 tons.

Ship joint-owner Jera was established in 2015 as an equal-share joint venture between Tepco and Chubu.

Its business operations include the construction and refurbishment of thermal power plants in Japan, as well as energy infrastructure projects and power generation overseas.

Mitsubishi explained that the “Sayaringo STaGE” is a successor to the “Sayaendo” type, a vessel acclaimed for its reliability and innovatively refined Moss-type spherical tanks.

“The use of apple-shaped tanks allows for greater LNG carrying capacity without increases to the ship's width, while the hybrid propulsion system further improves fuel efficiency over the previous model,” said Mitsubishi.

The company said that STaGE was an acronym derived from “Steam Turbine and Gas Engines,” describing the hybrid propulsion system combining steam-turbine and gas-fired engines.

“Going forward, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and MHI Marine Structure will continue the development of next-generation LNG carriers with exceptional fuel efficiency and sustainable performance,” stated the company.

Mitsui Osk Lines, the Japanese shipping company with an operating fleet of almost 100 LNG carriers, posted a first-half profit and higher revenues from its energy transportation business as its other shipping divisions struggled.