Nippon Steel Corporation, Nippon Steel Cement Co., Ltd., NS United Naiko Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd., Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd., Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. have agreed to construct a vessel with a hybrid propulsion system combining a gas-only engine and a battery (Vessel) as the replacement of the limestone carrier “Shimokita Maru” owned by NSU Naiko, and have recently signed “Memorandum of Transportation contract,” “Shipbuilding contract,” “Gas-only engine and battery propulsion system sales contract,” and “Liquefied natural gas for marine fuel sales contract.”
This Vessel is scheduled to start the operation in February 2024, and will be equipped with Japan’s first gas-only engine and a total 2,847 kWh lithium-ion battery. The LNG fuel tank is planned to use 7% nickel steel plate developed by Nippon Steel Corporation. The propulsion power and the onboard electric power during the sailing are generated by the gas-only engine developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Only natural gas will be used for high power, long distance, and long duration navigation. The propulsion power and the onboard power during entering, leaving and berthing ports will be provided from the battery to achieve zero-emission operation.
