K Line Takes Part in LNG Import Project

Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) has signed a deal with India’s H-Energy, a unit of Hiranandani, to jointly develop an LNG import project in West Bengal on the east coast of India.

Under the joint venture agreement signed on December 12, 2017, K Line will hold 26% in the company and H-Energy 74%.

The project envisages an FSRU/FSU in the offshore Digha region of West Bengal to provide regasified LNG (R-LNG) to customers in West Bengal and Bangladesh, as explained by H-Energy.

K Line will provide the FSRU/FSU for the project.

According to Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of H-Energy, “both companies will further strengthen their relationship through collaboration in other areas such as LNG bunkering at major ports on the east and west coast of India and supply of LNG ships for other projects of H-Energy. These are currently under discussion and are expected to fructify shortly.”

All necessary studies related to navigation simulation, uptime assessment, mooring analysis and several others are underway, H-Energy said.

The terminal is expected to commence commercial operation by 2020.