Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), together with Kyushu Electric Power (Kyuden), took delivery of the world’s first LNG-fueled Panamax-class coal carrier on October 2.
In a statement issued today, NYK reported that the vessel was named “Shoyo” in a naming ceremony held at the Koyagi Shipyard of Oshima Shipyard, and began operations after completing the first bunkering.
NYK operates the vessel and transports coal from overseas to Kyuden’s coal-fired power plants.
According to NYK, the use of LNG fuel offers excellent environmental performance compared with traditional marine fuels.
It reportedly eliminates sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions and reducing approximately 80% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Shoyo with a gt of 95,233 tons received its LNG-fuel supply at the port of Tobata (Fukuoka Prefecture) on October 12.
Bunkering was carried out via shore-to-ship, which supplies fuel directly from the handling facility on shore to the new vessel.
This was the first shore-to-ship bunkering for an oceangoing LNG-fueled vessel in Japan.
The new ship is designed to be compatible with both shore-to-ship and ship-to-ship bunkering, the latter of which is the supply of LNG fuel from an LNG bunkering vessel to a ship.
From March 2024, a newly built LNG-fueled bunkering vessel based in Japan’s Setouchi and Kyushu area could deliver LNG fuel through ship-to-ship bunkering.
The name “Shoyo” was inspired by a sunset from the Tsuchiya terraced rice fields in the city of Matsuura in Nagasaki Prefecture, where Kyuden’s coal-fired power plant is located. Tsuchiya terraced rice fields have been selected as one of the 100-best terraced rice fields.
Shoyo means “brighten” and has a name that is similar to the LNG carrier “Pacific Enlighten,” which is owned by NYK, Kyuden, and others. Shoyo’s port of registration is Matsuura, the origin of the ship’s name.
