Kyushu Electric Power 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…

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…

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Kyuden) said Tuesday that a Panamax coal carrier that uses low-environmental-impact LNG as its main fuel was delivered and started operation on November 14.In a naming and delivery ceremony held at the Imari Shipyard and Works of Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the new vessel was named Reimei.The Reimei, a large LNG-fueled coal carrier, is operated by MOL to transport coal from overseas to Kyuden's coal-fired thermal power plants.Credit: MOLCompared to conventional marine fuel…

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…

Japan-based company PowerX has unveiled the detailed design of the first-ever ‘Battery Tanker’ at an exhibition in Imabari City, Japan. The inaugural ship “X” aims for completion by 2025, with domestic and international field testing planned to start in 2026. This electric propulsion vessel will be 140 meters long and will be equipped with 96 containerized marine batteries, providing a total capacity of 241MWh. "The onboard battery system is based on our proprietary module design, featuring safe and reliable lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells that ensure a lifespan over 6,000 cycles.

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled bulk carrier being built by Oshima Shipbuilding for NYK has been certified by Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as the first application of the "Specific Ship Introduction Plan" certification system, which targets ships with superior environmental performance.Under the Maritime Industry Strengthening Law enacted in May 2021, shipping companies and shipbuilders certified by the Business Infrastructure Strengthening…

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…

Australia's Transborders Energy, a company working to develop an FLNG solution for marginal field development, has signed a partnership agreement with the floating production solutions giant SBM Offshore.Perth-based Transborders said Sunday that the two companies would co-pursue the deployment of Transborders’ FLNG Solution on a range of stranded offshore gas resource opportunities.Transborders has said that its FLNG Solution provides a pre-engineered one point five (1.5) million…

Japanese shipping companies Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) have signed long-term transport agreements with compatriot energy company Kyushu Electric Power (Kyuden) for LNG-fueled large coal carriers (LCC).According to a joint press release, the vessels are expected to become the world’s first LNG-fueled large coal carriers, under the operation of NYK and MOL, to import coal to Kyuden’s coal-fired power plants.The use of LNG fuel is expected to virtually eliminate sulfur oxides (SOx) emission and reduce approximately 80% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission, as well as 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission…

Perth-based company Transborders Energy has entered a Joint Study Agreement (JSA) to work with Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to together continue the development of its Floating LNG (FLNG) Solution and to pursue its deployment on a range of stranded offshore gas resource opportunities.Transborders’ FLNG Solution provides a pre-determined 1.3 MTPA FLNG development concept with a package of streamlined commercial & regulatory approval framework (including LNG buyers) to gas resource owners. Transborders’ Chairman Jack Sato says, “We are very pleased to welcome MOL as a strategic partner to our FLNG Solution. In addition to Kyushu Electric Power Company in Japan…

Australia's Transborders Energy  announce it has entered into a Joint Study Agreement with Japanese utility  Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. and its affiliate Kyushu Electric Australia Pty Ltd (Kyushu). The Joint Study Parties will work together to develop a Floating LNG (FLNG) Solution and pursue the deployment on a range of stranded offshore gas resource opportunities.Transborders’ FLNG Solution is a pre-determined FLNG and wells tie-back development concept with a package of streamlined commercial and regulatory approval frameworks.Transborders’ Chairman Jack Sato says, “Transborders’ goal is to unlock stranded gas resources, develop a new LNG supply source, and offer alternative LNG solutions.

Japanese shipping giant Nippon Yusen (NYK) together with Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc., Saibu Gas Co. Ltd., and The Chugoku Electric Power Co. Inc., successfully conducted a truck-to-ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering demonstration at the port of Kitakyushu.According to press release, this operation is the first LNG bunkering in the Setouchi and Kyushu areas of western Japan and advances the four companies’ discussions on the commercialization of a new business in the area.The LNG fuel was loaded onto a tank truck at the Hibiki LNG terminal in Kitakyushu city, trucked to a pier in the Asano district, and then supplied to the…

NYK Line has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kyushu Electric Power, Saibu Gas, and The Chugoku Electric Power for joint discussions on the commercialization of a new business to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel to ships in the Setouchi and Kyushu areas of western Japan.This is the second LNG bunkering project NYK Line is engaged in after investing in an LNG bunkering vessel with "K" Line, Chubu Electric, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation."The demand for LNG as a marine fuel, a practical alternative to heavy fuel oil because of its relatively low emission of air polluting substances and greenhouse gases, is expected to increase after a global 0.5 percent sulphur cap is introduced in 2020.

Japanese LNG imports reach 8.7 mln T in January, pressuring regional LNG market with China also hoovering up cargoes. Japanese imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) hit their highest in at least five years in January, with shipments expected to continue at a brisk pace this month as freezing weather keeps its grip on the world's top buyer of the fuel. Japan's imports of LNG rose to nearly 8.7 million tonnes last month, up 8 percent from December and the largest volume since at least January, 2013, according to ship tracking data on Thomson Reuters Eikon that stretches back five years. That upturn is piling further pressure on the region's spot markets for the commodity…

Chevron Corporation announced it has started producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the Wheatstone Project in Western Australia. The first cargo is on track to be shipped in the coming weeks. “First LNG production is a significant milestone and is a credit to our partners, contractors and the many thousands of people who collaborated to deliver this legacy asset,” said Chevron Chairman and CEO John Watson. At full capacity, the Wheatstone Project’s two train LNG facility will supply 8.9 million metric tons per year of LNG for export to customers in Asia. The LNG facility is located 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) west of Onslow and processes natural gas from the Chevron-operated Wheatstone and Iago fields.

Japanese firms NYK and Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. say they have reached an agreement to partner in various fields, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport. According to NYK, the agreement will allow Kyushu Electric Power to use vessels from the shipping company’s fleet for short-term LNG transport, enabling NYK to improve its profitability through efficient vessel allocation and Kyushu Electric Power to improve its flexibility in LNG transport. Shipping company NYK…

Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) gas prices reached a nine-month high this week as demand from India, Japan and South Korea underpinned sentiment, reports Reuters. LNG for November delivery were about $6.20 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), 10 cents higher than last week, as supply-demand balances for the rest of the year appear tighter, said three traders who participate in the market. That is the highest since the week ending Jan. Higher crude prices are also lending support to LNG values. ICE Brent futures have gained 3.3 percent to above $52 a barrel this week following the Organizations of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced plans to curb production.

Indonesia’s $2.8 billion Donggi-Senoro LNG project has shipped its first cargo of the chilled gas on August 2, Mitsubishi Corp, which holds about 45 percent of the project, stated. The $2.9 billion project, with LNG production capacity of 2 million-tonne-per-year (mtpa), is one of several major gas infrastructure projects that the country hopes will meet mushrooming energy demands at home and around the region. After 4.5 years of development, the LNG plant operation started June 24 and the first LNG shipment was made to Indonesia's state energy firm Pertamina's Arun LNG receiving terminal, Mitsubishi, which holds around 45 percent of the project, said in a statement.

Asian liquefied natural gas (LNG) spot prices for September delivery were higher on Friday supported by nearby demand from new importers including Jordan and Pakistan, traders said. The price of Asian spot cargoes rose to $8.10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), from $7.80 the previous week. "(It's) just unexpected demand with very short lead times," said a trader. Jordan is expected to announce results of a tender for two cargoes for delivery in early September on July 29, while Pakistan has held several tenders to buy at short notice. Other activity which supported prices included Argentina's YPF purchasing five LNG cargoes on behalf of state-run energy firm Enarsa following its recent tender, to be supplied by Statoil, Trafigura and BP.

Japan's weather agency on Monday issued emergency warnings to urge people in the country's southern islands to take maximum precautions as a super typhoon described as a "once in decades storm" is set to rake the Okinawa island chain with heavy rain and powerful winds. Typhoon Neoguri was already gusting at more than 250 km an hour (150 mph) and may pick up still more power as it moves northwest, growing into an "extremely intense" storm by Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. But it was not expected to be as strong as Typhoon Haiyan, which killed thousands in the Philippines last year. The JMA issued emergency storm and high sea warnings for Japan's small southern island of Miyakojima, some 300 km (188 miles) southwest of Okinawa island, and for a smaller nearby islet.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. Transferred sales and vessel operations of the dry bulker fleet (over 130 vessels) to Singapore to advance business expansion. ¥101.5 billion was allocated as cost of BSR during the fourth quarter of FY2012. Set forth the target of absolutely achieving profitability in FY2013 in the single-year management plan “RISE 2013”, and carried forward business model reforms (accumulating stable profits, scaling down free fleet). Participated in deepwater FPSO chartering project for T.E.N.

One major new development on the Northern Sea Route is the interest in using it to move liquefied natural gas to energy-hungry Asian markets, writes Stan Jones of the Office of the Federal Coordinator, Alaska Natural Gas in a recent article. Late last year, the LNG carrier Ob River hauled the first LNG cargo over the route, from Norway to Kyushu Electric Power in Tobata, in southern Japan. The icebreaker-escorted trip, from the Snohvit LNG terminal in Hammerfest, took 27 days, and that was in November and December, late in the season.

On May 17, 2013, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) will sign an agreement with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (MOL) to build a Sayaendo series new-generation liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier. Sayaendo series ships feature a unique structure that integrates the LNG tank cover with the ship hull, resulting in significantly improved fuel consumption and maintainability. From 2020 the new ship will be used mainly for transportation of LNG produced by the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia for Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. and Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc.