NYK’s sixth LNG-fueled pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), Sumire Leader, has started its transportation service for Mazda Motor Corporation (Headquarters: Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture; Representative Director, President, and CEO: Katsuhiro Kago), arriving at the port of Hiroshima on Oct 17 and the port of Nakanoseki (Yamaguchi Prefecture) on Oct 18.
This vessel is the last of four LNG-fueled PCTCs delivered from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. This series of vessels, which have been delivered one after another since January this year, is the first batch of the new generation of energy-saving and environmentally friendly LNG dual-fuel-powered car carriers to realize delivery among the more than 160 newbuilding orders for car carriers undertaken by shipyards around the world following the strong outbreak of the global automotive ro-ro market in recent years. The vessel will be used to transport cars, including those produced by Mazda, and is designed to meet the requirements for reducing environmental loads in the logistics sector.
The vessel was delivered on August 14, 2023, 139 days ahead of schedule. The vessel has an overall length of 199.90 meters, a beam of 38.00 meters and a gross deadweight of 78,866 tons. Through the use of LNG fuel and a number of environmentally friendly technologies, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 99% of sulfur oxides, 86% of nitrogen oxides and 50% of methane emissions. In addition, it is equipped with battery hybrid technology, which reduces the load on the main engine and generator through the support of batteries and improves fuel efficiency, and is regarded as a new ship type with high fuel flexibility and good green energy saving, leading the transformation and upgrading of global car carriers.
Sumire Leader will transport finished vehicles, including those made by Mazda Motor Corporation, and seeks to fulfill customers’ demands for a lower environmental burden in the logistics field.
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. NYK 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.