NS United orders methanol newbuild

Japanese owner NS United Kaiun Kaisha has struck a deal with Nihon Shipyard, a joint venture between Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United, for the construction of a methanol dual-fuel newcastlemax bulk carrier.

The Tokyo-based bulker giant said the 209,000 dwt vessel would be a next-generation environment-friendly vessel delivered to ship raw materials in Japan and overseas.

The 300 m long bulker, designed to meet the EEDI Phase 3 requirements, is expected to enter service in 2027 or later. The company added that the move is part of its mid-term investment strategy and its aim to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The NS United Group fleet counts more than 200 ships. The company has set out to invest about $1.4bn to rejuvenate its fleet by 2030, and some $290m has been earmarked for environmental investments such as engine conversions. Of this, about $1bn is planned for ships powered by new types of fuels such as methanol. NS United has been involved in several biofuel trials and is also part of a group developing 200,000 dwt ammonia-fuelled bulkers that includes MAN Energy Solutions, K Line, Itochu and Nihon Shipyard.