NYK is part of a Japanese Trio introducing LNG-fueled LCC
With IMO 2020 now in effect, the goal to see the shipping industry with a cleaner environmental footprint is getting nearer. It will also produce a profound change in the global fuel supply and demand with LNG believed to be the best solution for today and for the future.
The latest long-term transport agreement signed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kisha (NYK)* and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) with compatriot energy supplies company, Kyushu Electric Power (Kyuden) is a further testament to such viability. The deal comprises the supply for LNG-fueled large coal carriers (LCC).
According to official information, the vessels are expected to become the world’s first LNG-fueled large coal carriers, to import coal to Kyuden’s coal-fired power plants.
LNG’s emissions profile and scalability are currently unmatched by other solutions, especially since the LNG infrastructure worldwide, which is one of the biggest hurdles for such solution, is being effectively addressed. An example of how the infrastructure is being tackled is through new technologies such as floating LNG production (FLNG) vessels which enable more rapid exploitation of offshore gas field. Consequently, the concerns about supply of LNG to the maritime community are being diminished.
LNG offers huge advantages in the light of ever-tightening emission regulations, especially in the shipping industry. LNG as a fuel is presently both available and a proven commercial solution which performs well and is affordable, offering 24 percent more energy output per tonne than HFO.
The LNG procured for Kyuden’s thermal power plants will be supplied to the vessels as fuel at the loading facility of Kitakyushu Liquefied Natural Gas Co., Inc., a 75% owned subsidiary of Kyuden, where NYK had first tested the first LNG Bunkering in the said port of Kitakhyushu on the 15th of May 2019.
The three companies will therefore be effectively contributing to the realization of a low carbon society through the implementation of LNG as an environment friendly fuel. Through this agreement NYK, MOL, and Kyuden aim to positively collaborate for sustainable marine transportation of coal, with the reduction of its environmental impact. This is an important step to effectively reduce carbon emissions from marine transport.
LNG as a long-term solution
The three companies will therefore be effectively contributing to the realization of a low carbon society through the implementation of LNG as an environment friendly fuel. Through this agreement NYK, MOL, and Kyuden aim to positively collaborate for sustainable marine transportation of coal, with the reduction of its environmental impact. This is an important step to effectively reduce carbon emissions from marine transport.
LNG fueled tankers are double-hulled ships specifically designed and insulated to prevent dangerous leakage or rupture in the event of an accident. LNG is stored in a special containment system within the inner hull where it is kept at atmospheric pressure and -161°C.
It is expected that, the use of LNG fuel is to virtually eliminate sulfur oxides (SOx) emission and reduce approximately 80% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission. It is also predicted to reduce 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. This makes the use of LNG Technology a smart way to meet existing and upcoming emission requirements.
In order to power the ships, LNG needs to be returned to a gaseous state. LNG is received on board at re-gasification plant where it is then pumped first to a double-walled storage tank at atmospheric pressure and then pumped at high pressure through various terminal components. It is here that LNG is then warmed in a controlled environment by passing it through a heat exchanger using seawater to warm up the gas. The vaporized gas is then regulated for pressure and enters the pipeline system as natural gas.
LNG is currently the only practical industry wide marine fuel that provides a solution to power ocean shipping and advance the environmental standards by reducing pollutant particulates, noxious nitrogen, sulfur oxides, and GHG emissions.
So while IMO 2030 and IMO 2050 seek reductions in carbon intensity of at least 40 percent by 2030 and towards 70 percent by 2050 necessitating a move in marine fuel to non-fossil fuels, LNG offers a long-term solution for multiple ship life-cycles.
Gollcher represent various Liner Principals, among which one can find NYK.
