NYK charters two LNG newbuilds

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) informed it has concluded a basic agreement on a time-charter contract for two new liquefied natural gas carriers with Diamond Gas International, a unit of Mitsubishi Corporation.

NYK also concluded a contract with MI LNG Company Limited, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Imabari Shipbuilding, for the construction of the LNG carriers, the company said in a statement.

These new ships will be delivered in 2018 and assigned to transport the chilled gas from the Cameron LNG project in the U.S. state of Louisiana for 20 years under the ship management by NYK.

The new 165,000 cbm vessels will have apple-shaped tanks as part of the Sayaringo series of tanks, which have a greater LNG-carrying capacity, according to the statement.

These carriers will also have a structure that reduces ship weight and air resistance, in addition to a hybrid propulsion system combining a steam turbine and engines that can be fired by gas (STaGE; Steam Turbine and Gas Engines), resulting in cuts in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the statement added.

Image: Cameron LNG