Japan’s first LNG bunkering ship in milestone operation

Japan’s K Line and Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation announced the milestone operation in separate statements on Monday.

Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan is a joint venture consisting of K Line, NYK, Jera, and Toyota Tsusho.

On November 5, the 81.7-meter-long 3,500-cbm Kaguya supplied LNG fuel to NYK’s pure truck and car carrier, Sakura Leader, at Japan’s Mikawa port.

This marked the bunkering vessel’s 100th operation.

In October 2020, Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel completed the country’s first ship-to-ship fueling operation to a NYK car carrier.

Last year, NYK’s fourth LNG-powered PCTC, Wild Rose Leader, and Kaguya completed the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation at Japan’s Nagoya port.

The LNG bunkering vessel is based at Jera’s Kawagoe thermal power station and supplies LNG fuel to ships in the Chubu region.

Central LNG Marine Fuel said it is striving to expand its bunkering service to meet increasing demand of LNG as marine fuel in the Chubu region, arising from ever-growing global fleet of LNG-fueled vessels.

DNV’s data shows that there are now 609 LNG-powered ships in operation and 632 LNG-fueled vessels on order.

These statistics do not include smaller inland vessels or dual-fuel LNG carriers.