Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has announced plans to construct Japan’s first dual fuel tugboat – powered by either heavy oil or LNG.
Other than LNG carriers, this tugboat will be the first building in Japan of an LNG-fueled vessel.
NYK has enhanced its initiatives to mitigate environmental loads through the practical realisation of environment-responsive technologies such as solar-powered systems and air-lubrication systems. In 2011, NYK established a team in the company’s Fuel Group to research next-generation fuel alternatives to heavy oil, and looked into building an LNG-fueled vessel with the cooperation of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai and others, based on the results of a survey conducted by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency.
LNG received attention as a possible alternative to heavy oil because LNG does not emit any SOX and produces far less CO2 and NOX compared to heavy oil. In fact, using LNG as a fuel will cut this tugboat’s emissions of CO2 by about 30%, NOX by about 80%, and SOX by 100% compared to using heavy oil.
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