Yokohama News

Maersk Names Second Large Methanol-fueled Containership

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller - Maersk recently named the world's second large methanol-enabled container vessel, Astrid Mærsk, during a ceremony in Yokohama, Japan.The ship is the second of Maersk’s 18 large methanol-enabled vessels, scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2025, as the company works toward its net-zero targets and supports customers in achieving their decarbonization goals.Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller - Maersk, said, "We are truly excited to welcome Astrid Mærsk to our new fleet capable of sailing on green methanol.

ONE Announces New Transpacific Service from February 2025

Ocean Network Express (ONE) has announced its Transpacific service starting from February 2025 which will deploy 16 core weekly services.“The emphasis will be on quality end-to-end direct services with high schedule reliability.

Japanese Shipyards to Help Keep US Warships Ready to Fight in Asia

The United States and Japan are looking to make a deal for Japanese shipyards to regularly overhaul and maintain U.S. Navy warships so they can stay in Asian waters ready for any potential conflict, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said on Friday."China watches what ships are coming in and out. It is not like this is a secret, they know what's happening. So therefore, they take an evaluation of your deterrence," Emanuel told reporters at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo.Unchallenged in Asian waters for decades, the U.S.

Maersk Signs Methanol Bunkering MoU with City of Yokohama

A.P. Moller-Maersk has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the City of Yokohama and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical. The agreement will focus on the development of green methanol bunkering infrastructure in Yokohama as Maersk’s 16,000 TEU green methanol-powered container vessels will be delivered since 2024.Maersk has a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 throughout its entire business. For shipping, it will equip its 25 container vessels with dual-fuel engines capable of sailing on green methanol.

Singapore and Japan Agree Green Shipping Corridor

The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Singapore (MOT) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT) have signed a memorandum of cooperation to establish the Singapore – Japan Green and Digital Shipping Corridor.Japan is one of Singapore’s top 10 trading partners, and the trade volume between the two countries totaled S$65 billion in 2022.Under the collaboration, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work together with six Japanese ports – the Port of Tokyo…

Maersk to Deploy First Large Methanol-Enabled Vessel on AE Trade

A.P. Moller - Maersk is about to launch the first of its 18 large methanol-enabled vessels currently on order. On February 9, 2024, it will enter service on the AE7 string connecting Asia and Europe, which includes port calls in Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo and Hamburg, with Ningbo, China, being its first destination.The container vessel built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in South Korea has a nominal capacity of 16,000 TEU and is equipped with a dual-fuel engine enabling…

ONE to Trial Wind-Assist Propulsion

Ocean Network Express (ONE) has launched a wind-assist propulsion trial in partnership with Dutch maritime wind-powered technology company Econowind.The companies are set to install two containerized wind-assist devices, known as VentoFoil containers, on the MV Kalamazoo. The 1,036 TEU feeder vessel operates between Pusan, Yokohama, and Honolulu, and is owned by NORSE UK and operated by Goodwood Ship Management, Singapore.The VentoFoils, which resemble airplane wings, are designed to harness wind energy, resulting in a significant reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Yokohama Port Call is First by an LNG-powered Containership in Japan

A port call made by CMA CGM Liberty at the Honmoku D4 terminal in Yokohama on Monday is the first by a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership in Japan. At 15,000-TEU, the containership also ranks amongst the largest vessels to be calling in Japan.CMA CGM Liberty is one of three e-methane ready LNG-powered vessels that the Group has lined-up on the weekly Asia Central South America 1 (ACSA1) service. They form the ACSA1 service fleet of 12 vessels, ranging from 12,000 to 15,000 TEUs and deployed on the regular Transpacific service.

Japanese Partners Aim to Promote Standardized Shore Power Systems

A group of Japanese organisations have claimed a world-first with their initiative to advance standardized, zero emission shore power systems.Japanese ports and coastal industrial zones are responsible for about 60% of the country's CO2 emissions and are therefore a target for decarbonization, with Japan aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. Shore power is attracting particular attention because approximately 40% of CO2 emissions in ports come from diesel generators on docked ships.

Mitsubishi Launches, Christens LNG Bunkering Vessel

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…

PowerX Unveils 'First-ever' Battery Tanker

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.

Crew Transfer Vessel Arrives in Japan to Serve Ishikari Bay New Port Offshore Wind Project

A new crew transfer vessel (CTV) for the Ishikari Bay New Port offshore wind farm in Hokkaido Prefecture arrived in Japan from Singapore on April 19, Japan's NYK has informed. The vessel is named “Rera As.”After completing its sea trials, the vessel was delivered in Singapore and transported to Honmoku Pier in Yokohama port by Kifune, a heavy-lift carrier operated by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd. After being discharged, the crew transfer vessel was towed to the Oppama factory of Keihin Dock Co. Ltd.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and INPEX Complete Ammonia Bunkering Vessel Study

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding recently completed a conceptual study with INPEX CORPORATION for an ammonia bunkering vessel capable of supplying ammonia fuel to ships.Since ammonia does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned, it is expected to be utilized as a stable source of clean energy in the future, and is getting attention as a fuel that will greatly contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime industry.Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company based in Yokohama…

CMA CGM Argentina: Largest Containership to Call a Japanese Port

The CMA CGM Group said this week it had received the arrival of the CMA CGM Argentina containership as its largest vessel to call at the Honmoku D4 terminal in Yokohama, Japan.The containership is one of two 15,000-TEU series that the group has deployed on the weekly Asia Central South America 1 (ACSA1) service. Arriving from central and south America, the CMA CGM Argentina is now the largest containership to call a Japanese port on a regular service and has brought import shipments of fresh fruits from Ecuador and Guatemala…

NYK to Modify Tugboat to Ammonia Fuel at Keihin Dock Co.

NYK finalized a contract with Keihin Dock Co., Ltd., an NYK Group company, to modify a tugboat to ammonia-fuel specifications. Sakigake, a tugboat currently fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and operated in Tokyo Bay by NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation will be converted to operate on ammonia fuel by a target completion year of 2024.This R&D was initiated in October 2021 by NYK and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd.

NYK Line, IPS Get ClassNK AiP for Ammonia-fueled Tugboat

Japanese classification society ClassNK has granted its Approval in Principle for NYK Line and IHI Power Systems's (IPS) ammonia-fueled tugboat currently being jointly researched and developed. This R&D is part of the Green Innovation Fund project within Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for the development of vessels equipped with a domestically produced ammonia-fueled engine, adopted in October 2021 for NYK Line and IPS."Since carbon dioxide (CO2) is not emitted when ammonia is combusted…

Tokyo Kisen Co Holds Naming Ceremony for Electric Tug Taiga

Tokyo Kisen Co on May 26 held a naming and launching ceremony of the electric tugboat Taiga, built at Kanagawa Dockyard Co., Ltd in Japan.The Taiga is powered by an electric propulsion system that combines  e5Lab-developed large-capacity lithium-ion batteries and a diesel engine."It is an eco-ship designed to protect the environment in areas surrounding the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki, and also a crew-friendly tugboat, not only achieving low/zero emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx…

Ammonia-Fueled Tug Key Plank in Yokohama's Plan To Be a Carbon Neutral Port

NYK Line, IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., and ClassNK signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with City of Yokohama for the acceptance of an ammonia-fueled tugboat (A-Tug) at the port of Yokohama.The conclusion of this MoU is part of the Green Innovation Fund project within Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for the development of vessels equipped with a domestically produced ammonia-fueled engines, adopted in October 2021 for NYK Line and IHI Power Systems Co.…

California Ports, Key to US Supply Chain, Among World's Least Efficient

Southern California’s Los Angeles and Long Beach ports handle the most ocean cargo of any ports in the United States, but are some of the least efficient in the world, according to a ranking by the World Bank and IHS Markit.In a review of 351 container ports around the globe, Los Angeles was ranked 328, behind Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam and Alaska’s Dutch Harbor. The adjacent port of Long Beach came in even lower, at 333, behind Turkey’s Nemrut Bay and Kenya’s Mombasa, the groups…

Japanese Project Tests Ship-based CO2 Capture System

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has been working in cooperation with Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), to conduct test operations and measurements for a small scale demonstration plant of the “Marine-based CO2 Capture System”, in order to verify the equipment’s use. The equipment has now been installed on board the Corona Utility, a coal carrier for Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. operated by “K” Line, at MHI’s Honmoku Plant at the Yokohama Dockyard…

History: Japan’s First Containership Recognized by JASNAOE

Hakone Maru, a container carrier formerly owned and operated by NYK, has been recognized by the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE) as "Japan's first new container carrier that realized efficient maritime transportation."This honor is given to vessels that have historical, academic, and technical value, promote public understanding, and are seen as symbols of cultural heritage for future generations. Another NYK vessel, Hikawa Maru, a historic ocean liner permanently berthed as a museum ship in Yokohama…

S.Africa to Revamp Ailing Port System

South Africa's National Ports Authority (NPA) will operate as a stand alone business under the aegis of state-owned freight logistics group Transnet, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday, as the country tries to overhaul some of the world's worst-performing ports.A report last month ranking container ports by the World Bank and IHS Markit saw South Africa's major ports at the bottom of the list, with Durban faring the worst among local peers by coming in at 349 out of a total of 351 ports assessed globally.The Container Port Performance Index considered the total port hours per ship call,

Japan Luxury Cruise Halted After COVID-19 Case

Japan's Nippon Yusen subsidiary NYK Cruises Co said on Friday that its luxury cruise ship Asuka II was returning to port after a passenger tested positive for the coronavirus.The ship's 295 passengers and 425 crew members will reach Yokohama, just south of Tokyo, around Saturday noon, an NYK Cruises spokeswoman said.All passengers tested negative prior to the cruise, but the company conducted another round of tests at its boarding reception on Thursday, she said.The infected passenger is stable and recovering in a cabin that has been isolated, NYK said in a statement, adding that only one other person had been in close contact.The ship had been scheduled to stop at Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures and return to port on May 5.In February last year…