Asia/Pacific News
MHI to Build Fuel-Saving LNG Carrier for MOL
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) says it has signed an agreement with Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) to build a Sayaendo series liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier for use at Ichthys LNG Project in Australia.
Sayaendo ships promise a 20 percent reduction in fuel use compared to conventional vessels due to downsizing, weight reduction, and hull line improvement.
Osaka Gas Co. Ltd. and Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. plan to use the carrier to transport gas from the project starting in 2020.
The ship, which will have four moss-type tanks, will be able to carry 153,000 square meters of LNG at a speed of up to 19.5 knots per hour.
The ship, which will feature an integrated cover for the tanks, improving maintainability, and a ballast water treatment system to reduce impact on the marine environment, will be built at the MHI Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works.
MHI has now received orders for six Sayaendo series carriers, and the company says the series is "quickly becoming a leading force in the movement to develop energy-saving 'eco-ships' offering enhanced environmental performance - an area in which the Japanese shipbuilding industry is actively engaged."
MHI announced late last year that it had started construction on the first ship in the series.
