K Line’s LNG bunkering vessel achieves 100th STS bunkering operation

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel Kaguya, owned by Japanese shipping company K Line through a joint venture, has achieved its 100th ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering operation in Mikawa Bay.

As disclosed, the operation took place on November 5, 2024, approximately four years after the launch of business operations in October 2020. K Line operates the vessel with Japan’s largest power generation company JERA Co., compatriot shipowner Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), and other partners.

The firms own an LNG bunkering business for LNG-fueled vessels in the Chubu region through joint venture companies, Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation and Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation.

The joint venture is actively working to enhance its bunkering services in the Chubu region to meet the rising demand for LNG as a marine fuel.

This demand is driven by the growing global fleet of LNG-powered vessels, including the vessel Century Highway Green, an LNG-fueled car carrier operated by K Line.

As part of this initiative, the joint venture is focused on expanding its infrastructure “to provide efficient and reliable LNG bunkering solutions” that support the increasing adoption of LNG as a sustainable alternative to traditional marine fuels.

Compared to heavy fuel oil, LNG is expected to cut sulfur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions by about 100%, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by up to 80%, and carbon dioxide (CO2) by about 30%.

It is held to be a promising marine fuel that can replace heavy fuel oil in response to tightened international ship emission regulations, according to K Line.

K Line’s first LNG-fueled car carrier, Century Highway Green, was built and delivered by Tadotsu Shipyard, a part of the Imabari Shipbuilding Group, in March 2021.

The Japanese company also charters two LNG dual-fuel 7,000 CEU car carriers from Bermuda-based shipowning and chartering company Ship Finance International Limited (SFL), namely Odin Highway and Thor Highway.

Recently, the firm welcomed a new LNG-fueled car carrier from China Merchants Jinling Shipbuilding (Jiangsu), Nereus Highway. Classed by DNV, the newbuild measures nearly 200 meters in length and 38 meters in width. It runs on a dual-fuel electronically controlled WinGD 7X62DF-2.1 engine which reduces methane emissions when using LNG as a fuel.

In January 2022, K Line revealed plans to have zero-emission vessels by 2030. The company has set the 2030 interim target of improving CO2 emissions efficiency by 50% compared with 2008, surpassing the IMO target of a 40% improvement. Furthermore, K Line set its new target for 2050 as “The Challenge of Achieving Net-Zero GHG Emissions.”