Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) has received a new car carrier named POSEIDON HIGHWAY, capable of transporting 7,000 vehicles.
Constructed at the Marugame Headquarters of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the vessel is primarily powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Additionally, the vessel is designed to cut nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by 80% to 90% through exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), utilizing a dual-fuel electronic control engine from MAN Energy Solutions.
According to “K” LINE, the use of LNG as fuel is expected to significantly reduce emissions, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreasing by 25% to 30%, and sulfur oxides (SOx) emissions dropping by nearly 100%.
Moreover, POSEIDON HIGHWAY is the first of “K” LINE’s new car carriers to achieve ClassNK notations for fire safety measures related to electric vehicles. This addition brings the total to five car carriers under “K” LINE that have received such notations.
Over recent years there have been numerous fires on vehicle carriers, some of which have been attributed to faults in the vehicles being carried onboard. The outcome of these vehicle carrier fires have, in the main, been significant. For instance, the Fremantle Highway, a ship carrying 3,000 cars, caught fire off the Dutch island of Ameland on 25 July 2023. The ship was loaded with 2,500 cars and heavy cargo, including nearly 500 electric cars. The Dutch media reported 3,783 new cars on board, making electric car batteries more difficult to extinguish.
The naming ceremony was conducted by Mr. Kyogo Onoue, Chief Officer of the TPS Group at Toyota Motor Corporation.
