Japan’s 1st LNG-fueled tugboat gets carbon neutral LNG

Japan’s shipping heavyweight Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has revealed that its LNG-powered tugboat Ishin was supplied with carbon-neutral liquified natural gas LNG (CNLNG) for the first time.

The vessel, which is operated by MOL Group company Nihon Tug-Boat, received the fuel from Osaka Gas Co. and Daigas Energy Co. using the truck to ship method at the wharf in Sakai Senboku Port, Osaka.

“The ‘carbon neutral’ designation means that all greenhouse gases (GHGs), generated throughout the life cycle of natural gas extraction, liquefaction, transport, production, and combustion processes, were offset by credit, and CNLNG is expected to gain wide adoption in the future for general use as well as vessel fuel,” according to MOL.

The company took delivery of Japan’s first LNG-fuelled vessel Ishin from Kanagawa Dockyard in February 2019.

The ship is powered by two dual-fuel engines manufactured by Yanmar and features a removable LNG fuel tank mounted on the exposed deck at the stern of the ship.

 It has been supplied with LNG fuel from Daigas Energy since the beginning of the operation. On this occasion, Daigas Energy and Nihon Tug-Boat signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for supply of CNLNG over several years.

Moves to tighten regulations on exhaust emissions from merchant vessels have accelerated in recent years. MOL joined the industry’s efforts to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050.

The firm set the “Adoption of Clean Alternative Fuels” strategy to realize the goal, and plans to introduce about 90 LNG-fueled vessels by 2030.