K Line Names New LNG Carrier for Ichthys Project

Japan’s shipping major Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) has named a newly-built liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki Shipyard.

The vessel, named Oceanic Breeze, will be time-chartered by INPEX Shipping, a fully owned subsidiary of INPEX, and will transport some 0.9 million tons of LNG per year from the Ichthys LNG Project in Darwin, Australia to Naoetsu, Niigata after its delivery.

Designed by MHI, Oceanic Breeze has adopted SAYAENDO which features a continuous cover integrated with the vessel’s hull that makes a reduction in weight and air resistance which accomplishes low fuel consumption while successfully achieving environmentally-friendly conditions, according to K Line.

Featuring a length of 288 meters, the new ship is owned by Panama-registered company Oceanic Breeze LNG Transport S.A., a joint venture between K Line and INPEX Shipping.

The vessel has a tank capacity of some 155,300 m3 and is propelled by an ultra steam turbine propulsion system.