First ship-to-ship LNG bunkering at Nagoya port

Wild Rose Leader, an LNG-fueled pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) owned by Japanese shipping company NYK, has taken part in the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation at the port of Nagoya.

Wild Rose Leader with LNG bunkering ship Kaguya. Courtesy of Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation

Delivered in April 2023, Wild Rose Leader is NYK’s fourth LNG PCTC and the second 7,000-CEU car carrier built by Chinese shipbuilder China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co.

The vessel entered the port of Nagoya on 10 May for the first time and one day later received LNG fuel from the LNG bunkering ship Kaguya operated by Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation, a joint venture owned by NYK and other partners. This is said to be the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering at Nagoya port.

On 12 May, the PCTC loaded vehicles and equipment handled by Isewan Terminal Service Co. Ltd. and entered the port of Yokkaichi on 15 May for the first time to load vehicles made by Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Wild Rose Leader measures a total length of 199 meters and a molded width of 38 meters, making it one of the largest ships in its class.

The ship, like its sister vessels, is equipped with battery hybrid technology, aimed at improving fuel efficiency by mitigating main engine and electrical generator load fluctuations through the support of batteries.

NYK has set a long-term target of net-zero emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) by 2050 for the NYK Group’s oceangoing business and aims at launching zero-emission ships that run on low-environmental-load marine fuels, such as ammonia or hydrogen, in the future.

The company is positioning LNG, a low-carbon marine fuel, as a bridge solution until future zero-emission ships are realized. The company plans to take delivery of a total of 20 new LNG-fueled PCTCs by 2028 under the Sail GREEN brand.