Three NYK shipping and ship management companies to merge

Three shipping and ship management companies within the Japanese NYK Group – namely, Asahi Shipping, Hachiuma Steamship and Mitsubishi Ore Transport – will merge to enhance competitiveness in the industry.

As disclosed, the amalgamation of the new company, named NYK Bulkship Partners (tentative), is scheduled for January 2026. With its head office in Tokyo, the business unit will, reportedly, own 22 vessels and manage 91 vessels, including those owned by the company and managed by subsidiaries.

Through this merger, NYK said it aims to further enhance its competitiveness in ship management, as well as in ship ownership and operations, by consolidating similar business functions and strengthening common ship management capabilities.

To note, all three companies – Asahi Shipping, established in 1946, Hachiuma Steamship, established in 1925, and Mitsubishi Ore Transport, established in 1959 – focus on shipping, ship leasing, ship management, etc.

In other news, Japan’s “biggest cruise ship ever,” the LNG-powered Asuka III, was handed over by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to NYK’s subsidiary NYK Cruises on April 10, 2025.

Said to be “one of the most energy-efficient cruise ships ever built,” the unit represents “an important milestone on the way to reducing emissions and carbon intensity,” the shipbuilder stated.

It is also worth mentioning that in 2025, NYK Energy Ocean (NEO), NYK’s newly established subsidiary focused on operating LPG carriers, chemical and product tankers, as well as cargo ships, officially commenced operations.

In addition, Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers (KNCC), a subsidiary of NYK and Norway’s vessel operator Knutsen Group, received approval in principle (AiP) from classification society ClassNK for the design of liquefied CO2 carriers with elevated pressure cargo tanks (LCO2-EP) and a floating liquefied storage unit (FLSU).