A naming ceremony was held on June 12 at the Sakaide Works of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. for Gas Amethyst, a large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (“NYK”) and Astomos Energy Corporation (“Astomos Energy”). Following Gas Garnet, which was delivered in March this year, Gas Amethyst is the second jointly owned LPG dual-fuel vessel to be delivered this year and the fourth LPG dual-fuel vessel for Astomos Energy.
Approximately 80 people attended the naming ceremony, including representatives from Astomos Energy, Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. (“Idemitsu Kosan”), and Mitsubishi Corporation. Kenya Maeda, Managing Executive Officer of Idemitsu Kosan, christened the vessel “Gas Amethyst,” and the vessel’s ceremonial rope was cut by his wife. NYK Managing Executive Officer Hironobu Watanabe and others attended the ceremony to welcome the vessel and pray for safe voyages.
Outline of Gas Amethyst
This vessel is equipped with a dual-fuel engine that can use heavy oil and LPG as fuel. Furthermore, the vessel employs a shaft generator that produces electricity by rotating the shaft connecting the main engine to the propeller, enabling the vessel to stop operating the diesel generator during standard navigation and realize full LPG-fueled navigation.* Compared to conventional heavy oil-fueled vessels, SOx (sulfur oxides) and CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the exhaust gas are reduced by more than 95% and 20%, respectively, when the ship is fueled by LPG.
In addition to LPG, the vessel will be able to transport ammonia as well if future demand increases. Ammonia is attracting attention as a means of realizing a decarbonized society.
NYK seeks to further strengthen its long and close relationship with Astomos Energy and contribute to the low-carbonization of the supply chain by promoting environmentally friendly fleet development.
Vessel Particulars
On March 10, 2023, the NYK Group released its medium-term management plan “Sail Green, Drive Transformations 2026 — A Passion for Planetary Wellbeing.” The NYK Group is promoting growth strategies with ESG at the core, based on the Group’s basic philosophy of “Bringing value to life” and a new corporate vision for 2030, which reads, “we go beyond the scope of a comprehensive global logistics enterprise to co-create value required for the future by advancing our core business and growing new ones.”
NYK has established “Sail GREEN” as the company’s brand to emphasize NYK’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions through the transport of goods and contribute to the eco-friendly supply chains of customers, regardless of the mode of transport (e.g., by sea or land, through terminals, etc.). The construction and delivery of Gas Amethyst is an initiative of that brand.
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Source: NYK Line
