Mitsubishi Shipbuilding hosts christening ceremony for next-generation LNG carrier Diamond Gas Rose

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) based in Yokohama, today held the christening ceremony for a next-generation LNG (liquefied natural gas) carrier under construction for a joint venture of Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), the shipbuilding company said in a press release.

The ship, named "Diamond Gas Rose", is the second "Sayaringo STaGE" type vessel, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's newest carrier that achieves significant improvements in both LNG carrying capacity and fuel performance through adoption of a more efficient hull structure and an innovative hybrid propulsion system. After completion in August, the Diamond Gas Rose will join the Diamond Gas Orchid, the first vessel of the same type which was completed in late June, in service transporting LNG for the Cameron LNG Project, a project in the U.S. state of Louisiana in which Mitsubishi Corporation and NYK Line are jointly participating.

The well-attended christening ceremony was held at the Main Plant of MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, with a representative of the ship's owner among those present. Hiroki Sato, Senior Executive Vice President of JERA Co., Inc., proclaimed the formal christening. Tokyo-based JERA, a joint venture between the TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) Group and Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., is supplier of the LNG to be carried by the Diamond Gas Rose. Mrs. Sato performed the ceremonial rope cutting.

The Diamond Gas Rose features LOA (length overall) of 293.5m, width of 48.94m, depth of 27.0m, and draft of 11.05m. Deadweight capacity is approximately 73,800 tons, and the total holding capacity of the tanks is 165,000m3. Launching took place on July 12, 2017. Construction was performed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Structure Co., Ltd., a Nagasaki-based MHI Group company.

The Sayaringo STaGE is successor to the "Sayaendo," a vessel highly acclaimed for its improved Moss-type spherical tanks that deliver outstanding reliability. The adoption of apple-shaped tanks in the new Sayaringo STaGE has enabled an increase in LNG carrying capacity without changing the ship's beam, while incorporation of a hybrid propulsion system has significantly boosted fuel efficiency compared to the Sayaendo.

STaGE, an acronym deriving from "Steam Turbine and Gas Engines," is a hybrid propulsion system combining a steam turbine and engines that can be fired by gas. Efficient use of the engines' waste heat to drive the steam turbine results in substantial improvement in plant efficiency, enabling high-efficiency navigation throughout a full range of speeds.

Going forward, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Structure will continue to contribute to stable energy supplies and environmental conservation through the construction of next-generation LNG carriers that offer superlative fuel efficiency and environmental performance.