A joint venture will see Japan take delivery of its inaugural LNG bunker vessel the first of its kind to be operated in the country.
The LNG bunker vessel the first of its kind to be operated in Japan Photo: Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation (CLS), which has been established by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd, Chubu Electric Power Co Inc, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, wants to boost the use of LNG as a marine fuel. The four companies jointly established CLS and Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation (CLMF) in May of this year to launch the LNG Bunkering Business in the Chubu region of Japan. The LBV will be owned and managed by CLS and LNG will be supplied to end-users through CLMF. The LBV, which is scheduled to be delivered around September to December 2020, will be built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries ltd.
LNG promotion
In March this year, K-Line joined SEA\LNG, the global industry coalition seeking to boost the use of LNG as a marine fuel, at the same time as the Uyeno Group.
Other Japanese members of SEA\LNG include Yokohama-Kawasaki International Port Corp (YKIP), Marubeni, Mitsubishi Corp, Mitsui & Co, NYK Line, Toyota Tsusho and Sumitomo Corp.
Demand for LNG is growing in Asia.
Just recently, another LNG bunkering initiative involving several of the CLS/CMLF members, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) agreed to work with the Ports and Harbours Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) to promote LNG throughout the region.
One of its projects will be to conduct a feasibility study on LNG bunkering for car carriers plying between Japan and Singapore.
Source: Greenport