RORO

World???s first newly built LNG bunkering vessel and participation in LNG-fuel supply business.

The NYK Group is making inroads into the LNG fuel business. In a joint initiative with GDF Suez S.A. (France) and Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan) to develop a global market for the LNG bunkering business, NYK has agreed to build an LNG bunkering vessel, the essential infrastructure for this business, thus enabling the supply of LNG fuel in the European region.

The vessel will be built by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd. (Korea) and will be delivered in the near future. It will be based at the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium and supply LNG to LNG-fuelled vessels.

The port of Zeebrugge has excellent access to many major ports such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Antwerp (Belgium) and NYK will be targeting LNG-fuelled vessels operating mainly in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, including the LNG-fuelled pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) operated by United European Car Carriers (UECC).

To support the increasing number of LNG-fuelled vessels, the challenge is to develop and improve the supply infrastructure. An LNG bunkering vessel will have the flexibility to supply fuel to a variety of customers at sea more promptly and efficiently than an LNG supply facility on land. Therefore, an LNG bunkering vessel is vital for the LNG supply business. Participation in this project will enable NYK???s involvement in the supply side of marine fuel.