Japan’s NYK, Kyushu Electric Power, and two other partners have completed the first ship-to-ship operation with the 3,500-cbm LNG bunkering vessel, KEYS Azalea.
During the operation which took place on April 10, KEYS Azalea delivered LNG to NYK’s LNG-powered PCTC, Daisy Leader, in the port of Hiroshima, according to a joint statement.
Also, the LNG supplies came from the Tobata LNG terminal of Kitakyushu LNG, a part of Kyuden, the statement said.
The partners claim this is the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation in western Japan.
Last month, NYK took delivery of this LNG-powered PCTC with a capacity of 7,000 units from Imabari, while Mitsubishi Heavy delivered KEYS Azalea to KEYS Bunkering West Japan Corporation.
NYK and Kyushu Electric each have a 40 percent stake in KEYS Bunkering West Japan, Itochu Enex has a 15 percent stake, and Saibu Gas owns a 5 percent stake.
The LNG bunkering vessel will participate in the LNG coastal transportation business, in addition to LNG bunkering for oceangoing vessels calling at ports in the Kyushu-Setouchi area.
This is Japan’s first LNG bunkering project to supply LNG to vessels over the vast Kyushu and Setouchi area, the partners said.
Also, KEYS Azalea is Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel to be equipped with a dual-fuel engine that can operate on both LNG and fuel oil, they said.