Mitsubishi Shipbuilding held a christening and launch ceremony yesterday for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel, the first to operate in western Japan, built under contract for KEYS Bunkering West Japan.
The ceremony, conducted in the presence of representatives from the companies involved, took place at the Enoura Plant at MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Did you know?
- Truck-to-Ship – TTS: LNG truck connected to the receiving ship on the quayside, using a flexible hose, assisted typically by a hose-handling manual cantilever crane.
- Ship-to-Ship – STS: LNG is delivered to the receiving vessels by another ship, boat or barge, moored alongside on the opposite side to the quay. LNG delivery hose is handled by the bunker
- Terminal (Port)-to-Ship – PTS: LNG is either bunkered directly from a small storage unit (LNG tank) of LNG fuel, small station, or from an import or export terminal.
- ISO Container-to-Ship: LNG can also be delivered to the receiving vessel by embarkation of ISO containerized LNG tanks. If the receiving vessel is pre fitted with LNG connections the fuel can then be used.
The new vessel, christened KEYS Azalea, is scheduled for handover in March 2024 following outfitting work and sea trials. The KEYS Azalea is equipped with a dual fuel generator engine capable of using both LNG and marine diesel oil as fuel, a first for LNG bunkering vessel in Japan.
When operating in gas mode, it will provide exceptional environmental performance with considerably reduced emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx), and particulate matter (PM).
