Japanese shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries has delivered an 87,058 m3 LPG-fuelled LPG and ammonia carrier suitable for conversion to ammonia propulsion in the future.
Named Aurora Borealis, the vessel was delivered to Singapore-based Kumiai Navigation on Thursday, it said in a press release yesterday.
The vessel can transport LPG and ammonia, including both cargoes simultaneously. It is powered by an engine designed to run on LPG, reducing sulfur oxide and carbon dioxide emissions compared with conventional fuel oil.
It has also received conceptual design approval from the classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai for future conversion to ammonia-fuelled propulsion.
LPG remains a niche marine fuel, with its use largely concentrated in the gas carrier segment.
According to classification society DNV, the global LPG-fuelled fleet comprises 183 vessels, all of which are LPG or LPG/ammonia carriers.
