NYK is delighted to announce the order of its fourth liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel very large LPG / liquefied ammonia gas (NH₃) carrier (VLGC) from Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI). The ship will be built at the KHI Sakaide Works shipyard and is set for delivery in 2025.

Like the LPG dual-fuel very large LPG / NH₃ carriers already ordered by NYK, the vessel will be equipped with separate cargo tanks designed to carry LPG and ammonia at the same time to flexibly respond to various trade patterns.

Ammonia is attracting attention not only as a raw material for chemicals and fertilizers but also as a future zero-emission fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide (CO₂) when combusted.

Furthermore, in addition to the LPG dual-fuel engine, the ship will have a shaft generator that can generate electricity during the voyage by using the rotation of the shaft that connects the main engine to the propeller. Since the diesel generator can be stopped during normal seagoing transit, realizing full navigation with LPG fuel will be possible except for the use of a small amount of pilot fuel.

When LPG is used as fuel, exhaust gas from the ordered VLGC will contain at least 95% less sulfur oxide (SOx) and 20% less CO₂ compared to NYK’s conventional VLGCs using heavy-oil fired engines.

This new VLGC will comply not only with the SOx Global Cap regulations* that were tightened from January 2020 but also with the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)** Phase 3 regulations, which implemented stricter CO₂ emission standards from April 2022.

Moreover, the vessel is expected to be given notations by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) as a VLGC that has a preparatory design in accordance with the guidelines issued by ClassNK so that this vessel may use ammonia fuel in the future.

<Vessel Particulars>
Length overall: approx. 230 meters
Breadth (moulded): 37.20 meters
Depth (moulded): 21.90 meters
Summer draft (moulded): 11.65 meters
Tank capacity: approx. 86,700 cubic meters

On February 3, 2021, NYK released the “NYK Group ESG Story,” which aims to further integrate ESG into the company’s management strategy and promotes activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs through business activities. On March 24, 2022, NYK released the updated “NYK Group ESG Story 2022,” which introduces initiatives for integrating ESG into the Group’s management strategies set forth in the "NYK Group ESG Story" and provides a partial explanation of the Group’s sustainable growth strategy from a long-term perspective.

In addition, NYK has launched "Sail GREEN" as company’s ESG brand that emphasizes NYK's efforts to reduce GHG emissions through the transport of goods and contribute to the eco-friendly supply chains of customers, regardless of the mode of transport (e.g., by sea or land, through terminals, etc.). This initiative is part of that. The NYK Group will promote new value creation as a "Sustainable Solution Provider" in order to strongly promote ESG management.

<The NYK Group ESG Story>
A guideline detailing concrete efforts to integrate ESG into management strategies of the NYK Group. Details: https://www.nyk.com/english/news/2021/esg-story_01.html

<The NYK Group ESG Story 2022>
Details: https://www.nyk.com/english/news/2022/20220324_01.html

* SOx Global Cap regulations
Since January 2015, SOx emission regulations specifying a fuel sulfur content of 0.1% or less have been enacted in the Emission Control Areas (ECAs) of Europe and America. In addition, beginning in January 2020, vessels traveling in marine areas in all other parts of the world have been required to use fuels with a sulfur content of 0.5% or less, or to use alternative equipment to reduce the SOx content of exhaust gases to an equivalent level.

** EEDI requirements
An international regulation that enforces compliance of newly constructed vessels with energy-saving performance regulation values using the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), which is defined as the number of grams of CO₂ emitted when transporting one ton of cargo over one mile. Required EEDI regulation values are made stricter in phases according to the construction contract and delivery dates. This vessel meets Phase 3 (30% reduction in CO2 emissions from the baseline (Phase 0)), which applies to vessels for which the building contract is placed on or after April 1, 2022.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Headquarters: Tokyo
President & CEO: Yasuhiko Hashimoto
Website: https://global.kawasaki.com/en/