NYK Line has announced a naming ceremony has taken place for a dual-fuel very large gas carrier (VLGC) to be operated by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) trader and importer Astomos Energy.
The ceremony for Liberty Pathfinder was held on 4 September at the Sakaide Works of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
The 229 metre length-overall VLGC is Japanese-headquartered Astomos Energy’s fifth LPG dual-fuel carrier, following Gas Amethyst, which was delivered in June this year.
In addition to LPG, the vessel can carry ammonia, for which NYK says demand is expected to increase as it continues to attract attention as a means of achieving a decarbonised society in the future.
Liberty Pathfinder is equipped to use both LPG and heavy oil as fuel, and also employs a shaft generator that produces electricity by rotating a shaft connecting the main engine to the ship’s propeller, enabling the vessel to stop operation of the diesel generator during standard navigation.
Registered vessel owners NYK state that when LPG is used as fuel, sulfur oxides in exhaust gas are reduced by more than 95 percent, and carbon dioxide by more than 20 percent compared with conventional heavy oil–fuelled vessels.
“By further strengthening the long-cultivated close relationship with Astomos Energy and promoting fleet development that considers transportation demand and the environment, NYK is contributing to a low-carbon supply chain to realize a sustainable society,” NYK’s announcement read.
The line said the name Liberty Pathfinder was chosen because the ship will be a pathfinder to future decarbonisation, embodying the independence and freedom that epitomizes “liberty”.
