Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Names New LNG Carrier for Jera
Japan’s Mitsubishi Shipbuilding announced May 15 that it has held a naming ceremony for a next-generation LNG carrier under construction for Trans Pacific Shipping 6.
The christening ceremony was held at the Koyagi Plant of the Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works. The Bushu Maru is the latest model of the Sayaringo STaGE type. The ship features significant improvements in both LNG carrying capacity and fuel performance due to the adoption of a more efficient hull structure and an innovative hybrid propulsion system, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding said May 15.
Completion and delivery is scheduled for June 2019. The vessel will be put into service transporting LNG for the Freeport LNG project in the US state of Texas, among other ventures. Trans Pacific Shipping 6 is a joint venture of Jera and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha; Jera is a partner in Freeport.
The Bushu Maru has a length of 297.5m, width of 48.94m, and depth of 27m, with a draft of 11.5m. Deadweight tonnage is 80,300 metric tons, with a total tank holding capacity of 180,000 m3.
STaGE, an acronym derived from Steam Turbine and Gas Engines, is a hybrid propulsion system. Effective utilisation of waste heat from the engines for the steam turbine provides a substantial improvement in plant efficiency, allowing for high-efficiency navigation at both low and high-speeds, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding said.
The banner image shows LNG carrier Bushu Maru (image credit: Mitsubishi)