NS United Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (NS United) announced today that, together with Nippon Shipyard Co., Ltd. (NSY), Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Japan Marine United Corporation, have executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of Cape-size bulk carriers using dual methanol fuel, which are next-generation fuel vessels, jointly studied by NSY and NS United, according to the company's release.
The vessel will be a next-generation environment-friendly vessel with a deadweight of 209,000 tons to be delivered for the transportation of raw materials in Japan and overseas. These vessels will adapt Phase 3 of EEDI (30% reduction in CO2 emission efficiency compared to EEDI standards), which is enforced to bulk carriers entering into shipbuilding contracts in 2025 and later, moreover, they will be equipped with a dual-fuel engine that can be navigated using methanol fuel (a marine fuel with low environmental impact), in addition to conventional heavy fuel oil.
Methanol is expected to contribute to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction strategy set forth by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and is being developed as a marine fuel by maritime industries and fuel producers. Since the use of green methanol as a marine fuel is expected to reduce GHG emissions by more than 80% compared to conventional heavy fuel oil, NS United aims to cooperate with many related companies involved in fuel development to procure green methanol, and the implementation of dual-fuel methanol vessel is an important milestone toward achieving our environmental goal of achieving “GHG Net Zero by 2050”.