MOL's new LNG-fuelled coal carrier begins operations

An LNG-fuelled Panamax coal carrier, named "Reimei", has started operations from Japan’s Imari Port.

PHOTO: LNG-fueled Panamax coal carrier, Reimei. MOL

The Panamax vessel has departed Imari Port to lift bunkers at Tobata Port in Japan. Panamax refers to a design specification for cargo ships sailing via the Panama Canal, where these vessels have to comply with maximum permissible dimensions. 

At Tobata, the Reimei will receive LNG from the onshore LNG shipping terminal. The Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) will operate the Reimei to transport coal from overseas to Kyushu's thermal power plants in Japan.

LNG is the “transition fuel of choice for marine stakeholders”, according to the French certification firm Bureau Veritas. The global LNG-fuelled fleet is currently made up of 448 vessels, with another 86 expected to join this year, classification society DNV data shows.

LNG can curb carbon dioxide emissions by about a quarter compared to conventional bunker fuels. However, its methane emissions can be 36 times more potent as a greenhouse gas (GHG) compared to carbon dioxide over a century, according to a World Bank study.

By Manjula Nair

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