Four Methanol-fueled Vessels Ordered in Korea
Four new vessels powered by methanol fuel will be built in Korea following investment from maritime industry stakeholders Waterfront Shipping Company Ltd. (WFS), Marinvest/Skagerack Invest (Marinvest), IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (IINO), Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) and the NYK Group (NYK). The four 49,000 dead weight tonne newbuilds will be built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for delivery in 2019. They will be powered by MAN B&W ME-LGI two-stroke dual-fuel engines that can run on methanol, fuel oil, marine diesel oil or gas oil.
Japan Orders $1.8B in LNG Tankers
According to a Bloomberg report, Nippon Yusen K.K. and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., Japan's two largest shipping lines, will join Qatar in ordering $1.8 billion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers to carry the fuel to North America. The ships will be built in as yet-unnamed South Korean yards. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., Japan's third-biggest shipping company, Iino Kaiun Kaisha Ltd. and trading house Mitsui & Co. are also among the investors, according to the report. The Japanese group is buying more LNG tankers as trade in the fuel increases and shipping lines prepare for a forecast decline in rates to transport containers to the U.S. and Europe. Power plants and other companies are switching to cleaner- burning LNG, or gas chilled to liquid, after oil prices surged.
