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Mitsubishi holds christening ceremony for LNG bunkering ship
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group company based in Yokohama, today held a christening and launch ceremony for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel, the first to operate in western Japan, built under contract for KEYS Bunkering West Japan Co., Ltd. The ceremony, conducted in the presence of representatives from the companies involved, took place at the Enoura Plant at MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The new vessel, christened KEYS Azalea, is scheduled for handover in March 2024 following outfitting work and sea trials.
The vessel will be the first LNG bunkering vessel in Japan to be equipped with a dual-fuel engine capable of using both LNG and heavy oil as fuel for the main power generator . ), SOx (sulfur oxides), and PM (particulate matter). LNG, which has a lower environmental impact than heavy oil, which is the conventional fuel for ships, is expected to serve as a bridge solution for the decarbonization of fuel. We will contribute to the reduction of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in
KEYS is jointly invested by Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd., Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Ltd., Itochu Enex Co., Ltd., and Saibu Gas Co., Ltd., and will be established in February 2022 for the purpose of LNG bunkering business for ships and coastal transportation business in the Kyushu and Setouchi regions. A joint venture established in May, we will promote the decarbonization of the ocean through this business that handles LNG fuel.
As part of the MHI Group's strategic energy transition, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will bring together the gas handling technology and knowledge it has cultivated through the construction of LNG carriers. Through this project, which handles LNG fuel with low environmental impact, we will promote low-carbonization in the maritime industry as a marine system integrator and aim to realize a carbon-neutral society.