Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.has held the christening ceremony for a next-generation LNG carrier under construction for a JV of Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line). The ship, named Diamond Gas Orchid is the first Sayaringo STaGE type vessel. This newest carrier achieves significant improvements in both LNG carrying capacity and fuel performance. After completion in late June, the Diamond Gas Orchid will go into service transporting LNG for the Cameron LNG Project.
The ship has an overall length of 293.5m, width of 48.94m, depth of 27.0m, and draft of 11.05m. Deadweight capacity is approximately 73,800 tons, and the total holding capacity of the tanks is 165,000m3. Launching took place in March 2017. Construction was performed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Structure Co., Ltd., a Nagasaki-based MHI Group company.
STaGE, an acronym deriving from “Steam Turbine and Gas Engines,” is a hybrid propulsion system combining a steam turbine and engines that can be fired by gas. Efficient use of the engines’ waste heat in the steam turbine results in substantial improvement in plant efficiency, enabling high-efficiency navigation throughout a full range of speeds.