NYK and Astomos Energy christen new dual-fuel LPG carrier

First new joint ownership with Astomos Energy in 21 Years

NYK and Astomos Energy christen new dual-fuel LPG carrier

On March 1, a naming ceremony was held at the Sakaide Works of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. for the first new LPG carrier jointly owned by NYK and Astomos Energy Corporation ("Astomos Energy") since the two companies shared ownership of Gas Capricorn from 2003. 

The vessel was christened “Gas Garnet” by Yoshihito Takahashi, senior executive officer of Astomos Energy, and the ceremonial rope was cut by his wife. NYK Managing Executive Officer Hironobu Watanabe attended the ceremony with others from NYK to welcome the ship and pray for safe voyages.

The vessel has a dual-fuel engine that uses heavy oil and LPG. In addition, the ship is equipped with a shaft generator that generates electricity by rotating the shaft connecting the main engine to the propeller, enabling the vessel to stop operating the diesel generator during standard navigation and realize full LPG-fueled navigation. Compared to conventional heavy oil-fueled vessels, SOx (sulfur oxides) and CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the exhaust gas are reduced by more than 95% and 20%, respectively, when the ship is fueled by LPG.