NYK’s first LNG-fueled car carrier, the Sakura Leader, arrived at Ceres Terminal in the Port of Vancouver on its maiden voyage this week. The ship will be one of the world’s largest pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), capable of transporting 7,000 units, beginning with vehicles produced by the Toyota Motor Corporation. NYK is positioning LNG fuel as one of the transition-solutions until future zero-emission ships are realized. The Sakura Leader is the first in NYK’s fleet and plan to switch its operating ships to LNG-fueled vessels. A second LNG-fueled PCTC will be delivered in 2022, and an LNG-fueled coal carrier will be delivered in 2023.
By switching fuel to LNG and modifying vessel design, ships can become about 40% more energy efficient (by reducing CO2 emissions per unit of transport). These new LNG-fueled vessels are also expected to reduce sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by approximately 99% and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by approximately 86% compared to ships using conventional heavy oil–fired engines.
