NYK inks MoU for 12 LNG-fueled PCTCs

Written by Nick Blenkey
LNG fueled car carrier

Sakura Leader [Image: NYK Line]

Japan’s NYK Group has agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the series building of 12 LNG-fueled PCTCs (pure car truck carriers) at Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co., Ltd. and Nihon Shipyard Co. Ltd. Each yard would build six ships with the vessels being delivered successively from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2028.

The 199.95- by 30.00-meter ships will each have a capacity of 6,800 – 7,000 cars.

NYK says the MoU is in line with its PCTC fleet replacement plan of reducing CO2 emissions per ton-kilometer by 50% by 2050. The use of LNG fuel, in addition to hull modification to improve fuel economy, will contribute to a reduction of CO2 emissions by approximately 40% compared to ships using conventional heavy fuel oil, it says.

NYK’s automotive transportation business began its transition to LNG fueling with Sakura Leader, which was delivered in October 2020 and was the first LNG-fueled PCTC to be built in Japan. The company already has firm plans to have eight LNG-fueled PCTCs in service by 2024. With the 12 new vessels just announced, NYK’s total number of LNG-fueled PCTCs will increase to 20 by fiscal 2028, involving a total investment of about 200 billion yen (about $1.8 billion).

NYK aims to advance to zero-emission vessels utilizing fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia from around 2030. It sees LNG fuel as a bridge solution until future zero-emission ships can be ordered.

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