MOL and NYK to order LNG-fueled coal carriers

Image courtesy Oshima Shipbuilding

Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. has entered into long term transportation contracts agreements with Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) that will see the two companies order the world’s first LNG-fueled large coal carriers.

They will be used to import coal to Kyuden’s coal-fired power plants.

While a statement issued by Kyuden, NYK and MOL says a lot about the reductions in SOx, NOx and CO2 emissions from the ships, it makes no mention of the emissions that will be produced by the coal that they carry —but that’s another story.

Both ships will be 95,000 dwt vessels with dimensions of 235 meters length and 38 meters beam. The NYK ship will be built at Oshima Shipbuilding for delivery in April 2023, while the MOL ship will be built at Namura Shipbuilding for delivery in June 2023.

The LNG procured for Kyuden’s thermal power plants will be supplied to the vessels as fuel at the loading facility of Kitakyushu Liquefied Natural Gas Co., Inc., a 75% owned subsidiary of Kyuden.