K Line’s new car carrier gets LNG fuel tanks

Earlier this month, LNG fuel tanks were installed on a car carrier which is under construction at Tadotsu Shipyard, part of Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding Group.

The unit was ordered by Japanese shipping major Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) in 2018 as a next-generation car carrier with a reduced environmental load.

The construction is currently ongoing with estimated delivery within 2020 fiscal year.

The vessel is equipped with a dual-fuel diesel engine and the fuel gas supply system (FGSS) engineered by TGE Marine Gas Engineering GmbH of Mitsui E&S Group. The FGSS is composed of an LNG fuel tank and a high-pressure pump.

The LNG fuel tank on the vessel is an independent tank of type C, which allows the design pressure to be set higher than other types of LNG fuel tanks.

Because the boiling point of methane which is the main component of LNG is -161.5℃, LNG is constantly vaporized due to heat input from outside of the tank. Therefore, the tank pressure is increased by the vaporized gas inside the tank. The type C independent tank allows vaporized gas to be kept in the tank for a relatively longer period of time.

Once completed, the vessel will feature a length of 200 meters and a width of 37.2 meters. With a gross tonnage of about 73,800 tons, it will be able to carry 7,020 vehicles.

K Line Group, as a participant in the United Nations Global Compact, is promoting activities that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and this project is part of the company’s ongoing activities.