On July 6, a naming ceremony was held at the Nagasaki Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier co-owned* by NYK and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC).
The new vessel is the second LNG carrier that NYK and MC have under a long-term time-charter contract with Diamond Gas International Pte. Ltd.** The ship was named Diamond Gas Rose by Hiroki Sato, senior executive vice president of JERA Co. Inc., the purchaser of the LNG.
As was the case with Diamond Gas Orchid, the ship’s sister delivered in June this year, Diamond Gas Rose is a Sayaringo STaGE*** LNG carrier equipped with a next-generation LNG cargo tank structure and propulsion system. After delivery on August 1, 2018, the ship will, like its sister, transport LNG from the U.S. state of Louisiana for the Cameron LNG project, in which NYK and MC both have a stake, as well as from other locations around the world. The NYK Group will be responsible for ship management.
In accordance with its new medium-term management plan “Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green,” the NYK Group seeks to secure stable freight rates through long-term contracts and continue its efforts to contribute to a stable supply of LNG as an environment-friendly energy.
NYK and MC established the joint venture company Diamond LNG Shipping 2 Pte. Ltd., equally owned by NYK and MC, in 2015 for LNG vessel ownership and LNG transportation.
** Diamond Gas International Pte. Ltd.
A wholly owned subsidiary of MC located in Singapore.
*** Sayaringo STaGE
A next-generation LNG carrier, which has a continuous steel cover that reduces ship weight and air resistance while increasing LNG-carrying capacity. The name “Sayaringo” is derived from the fact that the upper semi-sphere of the tank is larger than the lower semi-sphere, resembling the shape of an apple (“ringo” in Japanese) covered by a pod of a pea (“saya” in Japanese). In addition, the ship is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system named STaGE (Steam Turbine and Gas Engines), a highly efficient reheating steam-type marine turbine, and a dual-fuel diesel engine capable of operating on both gas and oil, which creates a highly fuel efficient propulsion system.
Diamond Gas Rose
- Length overall: 293.5 meters
- Breadth: 48.94 meters
- Gross tonnage: 144,828 tons
- Main engine: STaGE (Steam Turbine and Gas Engines)
- Cargo tank capacity: 165,000 cubic meters
- Shipbuilder: Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
- Flag: Bahamas
Source: NYK