Korean shipbuilding company Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction has been contracted to build a new LNG bunkering vessel for NYK.
The construction of the 6,000t vessel is part of a framework agreement signed by NYK with GDF SUEZ and Mitsubishi Corporation in May, to develop a global market for the LNG bunkering business in the European maritime region.
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Claimed to be the first such ship, the new carrier will form the core infrastructure for this business and will be used to provide gas to LNG-fuelled vessels, operating mainly in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Upon delivery in 2016, the 100m-long, dual-fuel engine LNG vessel will be based at the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium. It will have a cargo tank capacity of 5,100m³.
The three companies are also planning to form a joint venture entity to own the bunkering vessel and an LNG-fuel sales company for chartering the carrier, to build sales framework in Europe.
In line with NYK’s ‘More Than Shipping 2018’ medium-term management plan, the company announced in March that the LNG supply and sales business will initially be targeted at LNG-fuelled car carriers operated by United European Car Carriers.
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By GlobalDataAround 50 LNG-fuelled vessels, including ferries, cruise ships and offshore-related vessels, are currently operating in Northern Europe, whereas the current bunker market accounts for approximately 250 million tonnes of heavy fuel oil a year.
Image: An artistic rendering of the new LNG bunkering vessel for NYK. Photo: courtesy of NYK Line.
