Itochu News

Japan’s first dual-fuel LNG bunkering vessel KEYS Azalea has completed its first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in Western Japan.The vessel - owned and operated by KEYS Bunkering West Japan Corporation, a joint venture established by Kyushu Electric Power, NYK Line, Itochu Enex, and Saibu Gas - bunkered LNG for the car and truck carrier Daisy Leader 2 at the Port of HiroshimaKEYS Azalea was delivered to KEYS Bunkering West Japan Corporation earlier in April. It is equipped with a…

Imabari Shipbuilding will install a MAN B&W 7S60ME-Ammonia engine with SCR in connection with the construction of a 200,000 dwt bulk carrier for a joint venture between K Line, NS United and Itochu Corporation.The business represents one of the first projects for MAN Energy Solutions’ ammonia-powered engine that is currently under development in Denmark. MITSUI E&S will build the engine in Japan.Bjarne Foldager – Country Manager, Denmark – MAN Energy Solutions, said: “The interest in this revolutionary engine had been overwhelming…

Ammonia-to-power solutions provider Amogy announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan-based global trading and import/export company ITOCHU Corporation to explore the potential application of Amogy’s technology on ITOCHU’s maritime vessels.Amogy has developed a modularized system that transforms liquid ammonia into electrical power. This innovative technology involves “cracking” liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen. The hydrogen is then funneled into a fuel cell for efficient generation of electricity onboard a vessel.

KEYS Bunkering West Japan Corporation - a joint venture established by Kyushu Electric Power, NYK Line, Itochu Enex, and Saibu Gas – has taken delivery of KEYS Azalea vessel, said to be Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel equipped with a dual-fuel engine.The delivery ceremony for the vessel was held on March 28, 2024, at the Yamatomachi Shipyard of Mitsubishi Shipbuilding in Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture.KEYS Azalea will provide domestic coastal transport of LNG to consumers in the Kyushu and Setouchi areas and LNG bunkering for oceangoing vessels calling ports in the region.Mitsubishi Launches…

Japanese trading house Itochu Corp will study joint ownership and operation of ammonia-fueled ships with Taiwan's U-Ming Marine Transport Corp, Itochu said in a statement, as Japan is bets on ammonia to cut emissions.The shipping industry transports about 90% of world trade, and accounts for nearly 3% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions; and installing ship engines that burn cleaner fuels could help slow global warming trends.The IMO has set a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by around 2050…

Japan's industry and land ministries on Wednesday picked three consortia, including one featuring Germany's RWE and its partners, to operate offshore wind farms in the second round of a public auction. They said they would award a fourth wind farm that was part of the tender at a later date.The results of the second major round under a new law to promote wind power were closely watched by energy companies at home and abroad, after the first round was dominated by Mitsubishi Corp.Japan's…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company based in Yokohama, today held a christening and launch ceremony for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel, the first to operate in western Japan, built under contract for KEYS Bunkering West Japan Co., Ltd. The ceremony was conducted at the Enoura Plant at MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The new vessel, christened KEYS Azalea, is scheduled for handover…

At least three proposed U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants have likely found enough customers to receive financial approvals this year, according to Reuters calculations, developments that would make the country the world's largest LNG exporter for years to come.After a dearth of plant approvals last decade, developers have secured dozens of long-term contracts to finance new multibillion-dollar LNG plants. The pace of approvals has accelerated as Europe has shifted…

Classification society ClassNK has issued an approval in principle (AIP) for an ammonia fueled 200,000 DWT type bulk carrier jointly developed by ITOCHU Corporation, Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd., Mitsui E&S Machinery Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE), and NS United Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd.ClassNK said it carried out the design review of the vessel in line with Part C of its "Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels”. In addition, the risk assessment through HAZID (Hazard…

Biofuels supplier GoodFuels announced it has supplied sustainable marine biofuel to NYK’s bulk carrier Frontier Explorer, in the first such delivery to a major maritime client since the company opened its Singapore office.Frontier Explorer was refueled with biofuel in a blend with VLSFO during its port call to Singapore on July 5, en route from Australia to India.The delivery was the first to be managed under GoodFuels’ partnership with ITOCHU, which was announced in May. ITOCHU was responsible for logistics…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. signed a contract with KEYS Bunkering West Japan Co., Ltd. for construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel, the first to operate in western Japan. The vessel will be built at the Enoura Plant at MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with completion and handover scheduled for March 2024.KEYS Bunkering West Japan is a joint venture company established in February 2022 to supply LNG fuel for ships in the Kyushu and Setouchi Regions…

PTL Marine announced the recent hiring of Steven Taylor as its Manager of Business Development with responsibility for the California markets. With operations in major ports including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the company has continued growing its network along the U.S. West Coast. Taylor will be based in Southern California where the company services the Marine and C&I industries with fuels, lubricants, chemicals and last-mile logistics solutions.“With more than 75 years of experience in California through the legacy brands General Petroleum and Maxum Petroleum…

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. on Tuesday announced that the company, along with ITOCHU Corporation has obtained approval in principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for an ammonia bunkering vessel concept.The project is part of a joint development study on ammonia fuel supply chain in Singapore. MOL, which already has experience and knowledge of liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels, is taking part in the project together with its partners in the LNG bunkering business in Singapore-TotalEnergies Marine Fuels Pte. Ltd.

While the maritime industry faces a long ‘to do’ list for the coming three decades, Hiroaki Sakashita, CEO, ClassNK, sees decarbonization as the definitive trend that will most dramatically impact the design, construction and life-cycle operation of ships.“It is decarbonization.”Hiroaki Sakashita, CEO, ClassNK, is definitive when asked to discuss the biggest challenge facing shipowners today. “Decarbonization will change the structure of seaborne trade, ships’ specification and design, ships’ operation, and the economic mechanism of maritime transportation.

Japan's Nippon Yusen KK (NYK) and its partners said on Tuesday they will conduct a demonstration project to develop commercial vessels equipped with ammonia-fueled engines to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions to tackle climate change.The shipping industry is examining a range of technologies as it looks to meet a target set by the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions from ships from 2008 levels by 50% by 2050.Ammonia is used in making fertilizer and industrial materials, but is also seen as a potential future energy source, along with h

Japan-based Itochu Corporation has this week formed a joint study framework of 23 companies and organizations with the objective of collaboratively discussing common issues in pursuit of the utilization of ammonia as an alternative marine fuel, Bureau Veritas said Friday.The aim of the Joint Study Framework is to verify and organize common issues regarding the use of ammonia as a maritime fuel, which is a new challenge for maritime stakeholders. Also, BV said this was a step toward…

Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) said on Wednesday it will accelerate efforts to build a global supply chain of cleaner marine energy using fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia as the world heads toward carbon neutrality by 2050."Decarbonizing ship fuel is one of our main goals," Kenta Matsuzaka, senior managing executive officer at MOL, told a news conference."We also want to contribute to global decarbonization by making use of our experience and expertise in building and owning liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel supply vessels to create supply chains of hydrogen and ammonia…

Russian oil and gas company Gazprom and Japanese trading house Itochu have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the proposed Baltic liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project."With this document, the parties confirmed their interest in potential cooperation in the framework of the project," said a press note from the Russian gas giant.A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Yoshihisa Suzuki, President and Chief Operating Officer of Itochu Corporation, took place in St. Petersburg on December 13.Itochu Corporation is one of Japan's largest general trading companies. It is engaged…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced that  the LNG carrier, LNG Schneeweisschen, jointly ordered by MOL and Itochu Corporation was delivered on July 31st at the Okpo shipyard by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea.The 180,000 cbm newbuilding has entered in to a Transportation Service contract for several voyages with Uniper Global Commodities, 100% owned by one of the largest European gas and electricity companies, Uniper SE.The LNG Schneeweisschen features two new technologies - the slow-speed two-stroke engine (X-DF) made by Winterthur Gas & Diesel, which can run on natural gas, MGO and Heavy Fuel Oil, and takes main engines efficiency to the next level…

The following are mergers under review by the European Commission that could be of interest to the global maritime and energy communities. -- Austrian company Borealis, Canada's Nova Chemicals and French oil and gas major Total to set up a joint venture (notified Feb. -- British turnaround specialist Melrose Industries to acquire British engineering company GKN (notified Feb. -- German steel company ELG Haniel and and Spanish peer Iberinox 88 SA to set up a joint venture (notified Feb.

Oman Shipping Company (OSC) has officially set up a new commercial chartering desk offering its Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCCs) to major traders and charterers covering VLCC routes worldwide. OSC, one of the biggest ship owners in the MENA region, has a diversified and young fleet of 50 vessels. OSC owns 16 VLCCs within the fleet out of which OSC is now commercially managing 15 VLCCs through its subsidiary Oman Charter Company (OCC). The move follows an announcement in December 2016 which saw OSC withdrawing 15 VLCCs from the VL8 pool based in Singapore.

Japan imported 8.3 million metric tons of LNG in January, an increase of 1.06 million metric tons compared to the previous year. The data, released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, also reveals that the amount the country pays for LNG imports had increased by 6.7 percent since 2015. Japan is one of the largest LNG importers in the world and it is expected that gas and LNG will continue to remain a key energy source in the future. The nation’s reliance on LNG rose in 2011 following the closure of the country’s nuclear reactors…

Following the naming of its new cement carrier, MV Aotearoa Chief, in New Zealand yesterday, The China Navigation Company (CNCo) christened its last newbuild, MV Tunsin, on 16 November at the Imabari Shipyard in Japan. Tunsin is the 241st CNCo newbuilding and the 86th vessel in this series. CNCo ordered four handysize bulk carriers (Imbari38 loggers) from Imabari Shipbuilding in 2014. Deliveries of the first three vessels, MV Taiyuan, MV Tientsin and MV Tsingtao took place between July and October this year. The names chosen for the vessels reflect CNCo’s long history in the Asia Pacific region since its first ships sailed on the Yangtze River in 1872. MV Tunsin was named by lady sponsor, Sara Cutler, wife of Robert Cutler, Staff Director of John Swire & Sons Ltd.