On September 5, the 86,700 cubic meter LPG dual-fuel VLGC “LUNA PATHFINDER”, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries for Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), was delivered and entered into operation.
This is the sixth LPG dual-fuel LPG carrier ordered by NYK Line from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, following the “LIBERTY PATHFINDER” delivered in October last year. Like the previous five vessels, the new ship was built at Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Sakade Works and will be on a long-term charter to Astomos Energy for LPG transportation tasks within Japan and globally.
The “LUNA PATHFINDER” adopts the 86,700 cubic meter /liquefied ammonia carrier design introduced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and is the ninth vessel to use this new design, which offers an increased loading capacity compared to the previous 84,000 cubic meter type LPG carriers. This ship is the 15th LPG dual-fuel VLGC built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the 78th LPG carrier delivered by the company.
The vessel has an overall length of 229.90 meters, a width of 37.20 meters, a depth of 21.90 meters, a full load draft of 11.65 meters, a speed of approximately 17 knots, a gross tonnage of 49,561 tons, a deadweight tonnage of 56,380 tons, and a cargo tank capacity of 86,920 cubic meters. It is powered by a single Kawasaki-MAN B&W 6G60ME-C10.5-LGIP engine, has a crew capacity of 30, is classed by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), and flies the Panamanian flag.
The “LUNA PATHFINDER” can not only transport LPG, which is already widely used as a low-carbon energy source, but can also transport liquefied ammonia, an emerging fuel anticipated for a decarbonized society, and is capable of carrying both cargoes simultaneously in mixed loads. Furthermore, without significantly altering the main parameters of the traditional hull design, such as length and width, the ship has achieved an increase in cargo tank capacity through optimized design and can berth at major LPG terminals worldwide.
The vessel operates on LPG fuel, which significantly reduces emissions of exhaust gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur oxides (SOx). It is also equipped with a shaft generator that can directly utilize the main engine’s output to supply power to the ship. When using LPG fuel, it can reduce SOx emissions by over 95% and CO2 emissions by over 20% compared to existing similar vessels using conventional fuel, complying with the IMO sulfur emissions regulations and the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) Phase 3 requirements.
The main engine is equipped with an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system, and the generators use a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to meet Tier III NOx standards. The ship is fitted with energy-saving technologies such as Kawasaki RBS-F and Kawasaki SDS-F, improving fuel efficiency. Additionally, the vessel has received approval in principle from ClassNK for future conversion to operate using ammonia as fuel.
Moving forward, Kawasaki Heavy Industries will continue to develop and provide various types of merchant ships that comply with environmental regulations, including LPG-fueled LPG carriers, ammonia carriers, and environmentally friendly ship technologies such as liquefied hydrogen carriers, which are gaining attention as a next-generation energy source. The company is committed to contributing to the realization of a low-carbon and decarbonized society and to environmental protection.
