NYK is delighted to announce the order of its first two liquefied petroleum gas dual-fuel very large LPG / ammonia  gas carriers  from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Both ships will be built at the KHI Sakaide Works shipyard and are set for delivery in 2024.

Unlike conventional VLGCs, the vessels will be equipped with separate cargo tanks designed to carry LPG and ammonia at the same time to flexibly respond to various trade patterns.

Ammonia is attracting attention not only as a raw material for chemicals and fertilizers but also as a future zero-emission fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide (CO₂) when burned.

Furthermore, in addition to the LPG dual-fuel engine, the ships will have a shaft generator that can generate electricity during the voyage by using the rotation of the shaft that connects the main engine to the propeller. Since the diesel generator can be stopped during normal seagoing transit, realizing full navigation with LPG fuel will be possible except for the use of a small amount of pilot fuel.

When LPG is used as fuel, exhaust gas from the ordered VLGCs will contain at least 95% less sulfur oxide (SOx) and 20% less CO₂ compared to NYK’s conventional VLGCs using heavy-oil fired engines.

These new VLGCs will comply not only with the SOx Global Cap regulations* that were tightened from January 2020 but also with the EEDI phase 3 requirements.** For the time being, all future VLGCs ordered by NYK will be equipped with LPG dual-fuel engines.

Moreover, the vessels are expected to be given notations by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) as VLGCs that have a preparatory design in accordance with the guidelines issued by ClassNK so that these vessels may use ammonia fuel in the future.