A new wood-chip carrier for the Hokuetsu Corporation was delivered on March 2 at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Saikai city, Nagasaki, Japan. NYK and Hokuetsu have a long-term contract for this vessel.

The ship has been named “Southern Ace” because the vessel will transport wood chips made from logs that have been confirmed to have been legally obtained through sustainable plantations in the Southern Hemisphere and the ship will continue serve the company in the tradition of wood-chip carrier HOKUETSU ACE II.

This new carrier is an eco-ship that uses approximately 15 percent less fuel compared to conventional wood-chip carriers. These advancements have been made through improvements to the hull form while maintaining transportation capacity and the use of a larger propeller that improves propulsion. The carrier is also equipped with ladder fins that improve water flow generated at the aft-end of the vessel.

— About Southern Ace
Length overall: 209.96 meters
Breadth: 37.00 meters
Deadweight tonnage: 60,222 metric tons
Cargo tank capacity: approx. 4,300,000 cubic feet
Builder: Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
Port of registry: Shingu, Japan

On February 3, 2021, NYK announced the NYK Group ESG Story, which aims to further integrate ESG into the company’s management strategy and promotes activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) through business activities. To strongly promote ESG management, the NYK Group will encourage new value creation as a sustainable solution provider through a business strategy that includes contributing to the stable supply of wood chips by operating eco-ships that use less fuel compared to conventional wood-chip carriers.