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NYK is participating in a study launched by Japan???s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to explore the feasibility of LNG bunkering in Yokohama.
This study is examining the technological and infrastructural requirements for establishment of an LNG bunkering hub at the port of Yokohama to supply LNG as fuel to ships. A kick-off meeting of the study???s steering committee was held on June 9 for the creation of a facility development plan by the end of the year.
In accordance with the NYK Group???s medium-term management plan, ???More Than Shipping 2018,??? NYK has started the process of using LNG to fuel some ships. In August 2015, the company received delivery of Japan's first LNG-fuelled tugboat named ???Sakigake???. Moreover, NYK has already begun construction of the world???s first LNG-fuelled car carrier and LNG bunkering vessel, and has teamed with ENGIE and the Mitsubishi Corporation to develop the LNG bunkering business. NYK looks forward to applying the company???s knowledge and know-how to this study for the development of LNG fuel for ships.
About the feasibility study
- Supervising Office: Designated Port Management Company Supervision, Management and Operation Division, Ports and Harbours Bureau, MLIT
Steering Committee Members:
- Ports and Harbours Bureau, MLIT
- Maritime Bureau, MLIT
- Japan Coast Guard
- Natural Resources and Fuel Bureau, Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy
- Yokohama City Office
- Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd.
- Yokohama Kawasaki International Port Co. Ltd.
- Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line)
Emission controls for ships
- The requirements applicable to ships for controlling sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are getting stricter every year. In particular, regulations aimed at reducing SOx emissions by vessels are becoming ever more stringent. Thus, applicable emission limits were reduced from the current 1.0% to 0.1% in 2015 in certain emission control areas, or ECAs (the North Sea, the Baltic Sea area, and areas around North America). Outside the ECAs, emission limits will be reduced from the current limit of 3.5% to 0.5% in 2020 or 2025.
Use of LNG fuel to reduce environmentally hazardous substances
- Use of LNG almost completely eliminates SOx and particulate matter (PM) emissions, and the operation of LNG-fueled vessels can result in a reduction of nearly all SOx and PM emissions compared to emissions by vessels powered with conventional heavy fuel oil. Use of LNG can also reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 30% and can reduce NOx emissions by up to 80%. The widespread adoption of LNG is thus considered to be an influential measure by ships to control greenhouse gas emissions.
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??? First Japanese shipping company to enter subsea industry ???
NYK has reached an agreement with Ezra Holdings Limited (Ezra) and Chiyoda Corporation (Chiyoda) to acquire a 25 percent share of EMAS Chiyoda Subsea Limited (ECS). After NYK???s participation, the shareholding structure of ECS will change to Ezra 40%, Chiyoda 35%, and NYK 25%.
ECS is a global player in the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of subsea facilities ??? essential components in offshore oil and gas field development.
Based on its ???More than Shipping 2018??? medium-term management plan emphasizing differentiation through the use of creative solutions, NYK has been expanding its business in offshore oil and gas exploration/development. NYK currently offers seismic, drilling, production, and shuttle transportation services, and entry into the subsea EPCI segment will enable the company to further extend its service range in the offshore oil and gas value chain.
Subsea EPCI work requires highly advanced engineering capabilities and a specialized skillset utilizing sophisticated subsea construction vessels, so NYK is confident that the expertise it has accumulated in the offshore business field, as well as the company???s long-standing competence in oil and gas shipping, will make a positive contribution to the joint-venture company.
The ???Basic Plan on Ocean Policy,??? an act approved by the Cabinet of Japan in April 2013, stipulates a vision of Japan as an oceanic state and encourages the promotion, creation, and development of maritime industries and marine resources, in addition to human resources having maritime technological capabilities.
NYK has been developing its offshore business in line with this basic plan, and we believe that we can further support the government???s initiatives through this new partnership with ECS. NYK will strive to enhance its capabilities in offshore resource development, including those in the exclusive economic zone of our home country.
NYK will seek to further expand its offshore business developments in accordance with the company???s medium-term management plan.
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In fiscal 2015, NYK achieved a 14.3 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, exceeding the goal established in 2011 in the company???s "More Than Shipping 2013" medium-term management plan calling for a 10 percent reduction by fiscal 2015 in the CO2 emission rate per unit of transportation from vessels compared with the rate recorded in 2010.
NYK has worked ???to contribute to the global environment and the creation of sustainable societies by managing environmental risks and arriving at an optimal balance between environment and economy,??? as indicated in the company???s environmental management vision in March 2005. This accomplishment is the result of cooperative efforts by shipowners, ship-management companies, crews, and ship operators, among others.
NYK started employing its Ship Information Management System (SIMS) on vessels in 2008, before the IMO* tightened regulations on CO2 emissions, and currently utilizes Big Data to reduce fuel consumption. Nowadays, next-generation type car carriers and advanced 14,000-TEU containerships equipped with the latest energy-saving technologies have entered the NYK fleet, and NYK is still making efforts to attain the next goal announced in the company???s "More Than Shipping 2018" medium-term management plan: a 15 percent improvement in fuel-efficiency above the 2010 level by fiscal 2018.
As a company beyond the envelope of the shipping industry, NYK will continue its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions to alleviate climate change, and to enhance the company???s competitiveness by taking advantage of "creative solutions" initiated in "More Than Shipping 2018."
*IMO (International Maritime Organization) - A UN specialized agency that promotes intergovernmental cooperation and formulates treaties covering technical and legal questions in the fields of marine transport and shipbuilding.
