Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. has concluded a shipbuilding contract for an 86,700 m3 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied ammonia gas (NH3) carrier powered by LPG fuel for Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha. This is the fourth LPG/NH3 carrier for Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, according to the company's release.
The vessel is equipped with separate cargo tanks designed to carry LPG and NH3 at the same time. This contract represents their 78th LPG carrier, 15th LPG-fueled LPG carrier and 8th LPG/NH3 carrier to be constructed by Kawasaki. Kawasaki plans to complete the construction of the vessels at its Sakaide Works in 2025.
The advantage of this dual-purpose vessel is its capability to simultaneously carry LPG, which is already used as a low-carbon energy source, and NH3, a new fuel contributing to the establishment of a decarbonized society. Another feature is the greater capacity of the cargo tanks as compared to conventional carriers, which was achieved without significantly changing the vessel’s length, breadth, or other main specifications.
Fueled by low-sulfur fuel oil and LPG (which significantly reduces the emission volumes of sulfur oxides [SOx], CO2, and other pollutants in the exhaust gases as compared to marine fuel oil), the vessel meets SOx emission standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as well as the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) Phase 3 regulations, which are applicable to adopt stricter CO2 emission standards in 2022. In addition, the vessel is equipped with a shaft generator that converts the rotational energy of the main engine into electric power. This enables the vessel to stop all the diesel generators under the normal sea-going condition.
To meet environmental standards being tightened globally, and to implement action plans set forth in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations and other initiatives, Kawasaki plans to develop and build more LPG-fueled LPG carriers and other commercial vessels that meet environmental standards, as well as to develop other eco-friendly marine technologies, to contribute to the establishment of a low-carbon/decarbonized society. These products include vessels for transporting liquefied hydrogen, considered to be the next-generation energy source.
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 are 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.