Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Group), the Japanese shipping company, has announced the delivery of a methanol carrier, Takaroa Sun, running on a two-stroke dual-fuel engine technology that enables the vessel to be powered by methanol.
The vessel was constructed at the South Korean Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and was funded through NYK’s green financing initiative, which aims to support environment-friendly projects.
The 49,000 dwt Takaroa Sun is supplied with the MAN Energy Solutions’ two-stroke dual-fuel engine which runs on both methanol and conventional marine fuel. The ship also possesses a processor which reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx) so that it meets the IMO’s Tier III rule.
Methanol is a safe, biodegradable, and clean-burning marine fuel, in line with IMO’s 2020 sulphur cap regulations, by reducing sulphur oxides (SOx) by approximately 99%. Moreover, methanol can also provide a pathway to meet future carbon emission reduction targets, as it able to be produced from renewable sources.
Takaroa Sun will be chartered to Waterfront Shipping Company Limited (WFS), a subsidiary of Methanex Corporation, a producer and supplier of methanol, in a long-term time-charter agreement between WFS and NYK Bulkship (Asia), a NYK Group company based in Singapore.
The managing director of NYK Bulkship (Asia) Pte. Ltd., Takeshi Kishi,
We are delighted to establish this relationship with WFS, which has expertise in methanol shipping, and we welcome our first methanol-fueled vessel into our fleet. Making use of the NYK Group’s attentive, safety-focused vessel management featuring advanced, new technology, we plan to fully meet the expectations of WFS.
On his part, the President of Waterfront Shipping Ltd., Paul Hexter, stated that “with the delivery of Takaroa Sun, we are continuing to benefit from innovative technological advances that will optimize performance and efficiency”.
The 57,000 cbm Takaroa Sun, with a length of 183 meters and a 32.2 meter width, flies the flag of the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS).
