Conventional Heavy Oil News

As their first jointly owned liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier in 21 years, NYK and Astomos Energy have named the new vessel Gas Garnet.The companies held a naming ceremony at the Sakaide Works of Kawasaki Heavy Industries on March 1, 2024.The 86,953 m3 capacity vessel was christened Gas Garnet by Yoshihito Takahashi, senior executive officer of Astomos Energy. This is the first jointly owned LPG vessel by the companies after they shared ownership of Gas Capricorn from 2003.The vessel has a breadth of 37.2 meters…

An LNG-fueled capesize bulk carrier, ordered by NYK and to be deployed to transport iron ore and coal from Australia to Japan under a long-term consecutive voyage charter contract with JFE Steel Corporation (JFE), has been delivered.The naming ceremony for the vessel was held on January 30, 2024, at Japan Marine United Corporation's Tsu Shipyard in Mie Prefecture.The vessel is the first capesize LNG-fueled bulk carrier to be built at a shipyard in Japan, according to an NYK research.The vessel was named ‘SG Ocean’ to reflect the ‘SG’ of NYK's ‘Sail GREEN’ brand…

Japan's NYK is set to order two LNG-fueled large coal carriers from Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2025."This ship order is a part of a bulk carrier fleet development aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the NYK Group's oceangoing businesses by 2050," NYK said.NYK says that compared to conventional heavy oil-fueled ships, the two new ships will emit zero sulfur oxides (SOx), 80% less nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 30% less carbon dioxide (CO2).

Japanese shipping company NYK last week took delivery of the Plumeria Leader, an LNG-powered pure car and truck carrier (PCTC).The vessel, delivered on March 24, was built at the Shin Kurushima Dockyard of Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. This is NYK's second LNG-fueled car carrier following the delivery of the Sakura Leader."By vessel modification and the switch to LNG, Plumeria Leader will make the ship up to approximately 40% more energy efficient (by reducing CO2 emissions per unit of transport) compared to ships using conventional heavy oil-fired engines.

Japanese steelmaker JFE Steel has signed long-charters shipping firms NYK Line, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines to charter three 210,000-ton LNG-fueled bulk carriers for transporting iron ore and coal from overseas locations to JFE Steel’s steelworks in Japan. JFE Steel said the charters would make it the first company in Japan to deploy LNG-fueled ships in the 210,000-ton class, and said the move would help it cut emissions.The ships, which have been designed by Nihon Shipyard and will be built by Japan Marine United and Imabari Shipbuilding…

The world’s first Digital Smart Ship (DSS)On October 28, 2020, NYK took delivery of Sakura Leader, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) capable of navigating oceans with only LNG as the ship’s main fuel. This delivery marks a step toward achieving NYK’s environment management target, which is to reduce CO2 emissions per ton-kilometer of transport by 50% by 2050. The vessel was built at the Shin Kurushima Dockyard of Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.The ship is the first large LNG-fueled PCTC to be built in Japan.

The run up to 2050 and dramatic reductions in emissions from ships will, by most expert’s thinking, be an evolution of small steps premised on melding new fuels and digitalization technologies. The recent delivery of the LNG-fueled PCTC Sakura Leader to NYK can be considered a sizable leap in this regard, as the ship has been designated as the world’s first digital smart ship.A Big Step Toward CO2 Reduction TargetsOn October 28, NYK took delivery of Sakura Leader, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) capable of navigating oceans with only LNG as the ship’s main fuel.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. has delivered the first LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) fuel supply system "FGSS (Fuel Gas Supply System)" for dual fuel marine engines. This system will be installed onboard the first LNG fueled pure car carrier (PCC) built in Japan, which is currently under construction at Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.The FGSS is an LNG fuel gas supply system developed by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding utilizing LNG and vaporized gas handling technology developed through its long experience on the construction of LNG carriers…

Classification Society ClassNK granted an Approval in Principle (AIP) to Osaka Gas for their joint project with Daihatsu Diesel on an LPG Reformer for marine engines. This was the first AIP granted in Japan for such equipment.The LPG Reformer is designed to convert LPG into synthetic methane gas equivalent to the kind found in LNG. Due to being mainly composed of propane and butane, LPG is susceptible to knocking (abnormal combustion), making it difficult to use as a fuel for lean burn gas engines and dual fuel engines.

NYK has placed an order for the world largest pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) capable of navigating oceans with only LNG as the main fuel. A keel laying ceremony was held on September 20 at Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., and NYK managing corporate officer Takaya Soga and other related parties were in attendance. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in 2020 and will be the first large LNG-fueled PCTC to be built in Japan.To minimize a reduction in vehicle loading capacity caused by the installation of LNG fuel tanks…

Japanese transport company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced that its group company Mitsui O.S.K. Passenger Line, Ltd. (MOPAS) has scheduled a major renovation of its operated cruise ship, the Nippon Maru.According to a press release from MOL Group, the project will take about 50 days from mid-February through early April 2020.The Nippon Maru was renovated in 2010 when the ship marked its 20th anniversary. Additional cabins were constructed on the sixth floor, while the new Horizon Lounge and Spa & Salon were added. The hull was also repainted with the new royal blue color and round windows were installed.And, the ship will undergo…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced the completion of this year's Project Based Learning (PBL) program at the University of Tokyo Graduate Program for Mechanical Systems Innovation (GMSI), Research and Education Consortium for Innovation of Advanced Integrated Science (CIAiS) and Global Leader Program for Social Design and Management (GSDM). "PBL" is a program implemented by University of Tokyo Graduate School, aimed at developing personnel who have the ability to work in a broader spectrum and apply one's skills to a multidisciplinary setting while maintaining a high level of expertise. MOL, as the project manager, provided the theme "application of bio fuels for diesel engines on ocean shipping vessels…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced the completion, on Friday, February 10, of this year’s Project Based Learning (“PBL”) program at the University of Tokyo Graduate Program for Mechanical Systems Innovation (GMSI), Research and Education Consortium for Innovation of Advanced Integrated Science (CIAiS) and Global Leader Program for Social Design and Management (GSDM). “PBL”is a program implemented by University of Tokyo Graduate School, aimed at developing personnel who have the ability to work in a broader spectrum and apply one’s skills to a multidisciplinary setting while maintaining a high level of expertise. MOL, as the project manager…

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has received an order from Hitachi Zosen Corporation for a high-pressure gas supply system enabling use of natural gas as fuel in marine engines. In lieu of conventional heavy oil, the system supplies liquefied natural gas (LNG), injected under high pressure, to the engine. This configuration curbs emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2), thus contributing to reduction of environmental loads. Delivery of the system is scheduled for the second half of 2016, for installation at Hitachi Zosen's Ariake Works in Nagasu-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture. After use in gas fuelled demonstration testing of a marine diesel test engine…

DNV GL has conducted a risk assessment “hazard identification study (HAZID)” on a series of three methanol-fuelled tankers for owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and shipyard Minami Nippon Shipbuilding in Japan. As these are the vessels with a flex fuelled low speed diesel engine using methanol and/or heavy fuel oil, DNV GL was asked to participate in the project for its expertise in the low flash point fuel including methanol and LNG. “We’re working closely with all parties to make design improvements and safety recommendations early in the design phase…

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has begun  developing "UEC-LSGi," low-speed, dual-fuel, marine diesel engines capable of using not only conventional heavy oil but also natural gas for their fuel. The new engine will be added to the lineup of the Mitsubishi UEC Engine Series, the company's 2-stroke, low-speed marine diesel engine brand. Scheduled to be launched onto the market in 2015, MHI aims to reduce the economic and environmental burden on ship operators. For the new engine…