Japan’s NYK, Kyushu Electric Power, and two other partners have taken delivery of the 3,500-cbm LNG bunkering vessel, KEYS Azalea, from a yard owned by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
According to a joint statement, the delivery ceremony for the 82.4 meters long vessel took place on Thursday at Mitsubishi Heavy’s Yamatomachi yard.
KEYS Bunkering West Japan Corporation, a joint venture in which NYK and Kyushu Electric each have a 40 percent stake, Itochu Enex has a 15 percent stake, and Saibu Gas owns a 5 percent stake, ordered this 82.4 meters long ship at Mitsubishi Heavy in March 2022.
Mitsubishi Heavy’s yard held a launching and naming ceremony for the vessel in July last year.
The 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.