Japanese shipping company NYK last week took delivery of the Plumeria Leader, an LNG-powered pure car and truck carrier (PCTC).
The vessel, delivered on March 24, was built at the Shin Kurushima Dockyard of Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. This is NYK's second LNG-fueled car carrier following the delivery of the Sakura Leader.
"By vessel modification and the switch to LNG, Plumeria Leader will make the ship up to approximately 40% more energy efficient (by reducing CO2 emissions per unit of transport) compared to ships using conventional heavy oil-fired engines. The vessel is also expected to reduce sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by approximately 99% and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by approximately 86% compared to ships using conventional heavy oil fired engines," NYK said.
According to NYK, the Plumeria Leader PCTC will be one of the world’s largest PCTCs, capable of transporting approximately 7,000 units (standard vehicle equivalent) per voyage, beginning with vehicles produced by the Toyota Motor Corporation.
NYK said it planned to take delivery of a total of 20 new LNG-fueled car carriers by 2028, and as soon as technological innovation progresses, NYK plans to switch to zero-emission vessels utilizing low-emission marine fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia.