Mitsubishi names new LNG carrier
The new ship was named Nohshu Maru after the old provincial name for the southern region of Gifu Prefecture. The ceremony was held at MHI’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works and attended by the president of Chubu Electric Power, Satoru Katsuno.
The new vessel was launched in October 2017 and has a length of 297.5m, width of 48.94m and depth of 27.0m. Draft is 11.1m and deadweight tonnage is approximately 80,300 tonnes, with total tank holding capacity of 180,000m3.
The Nohshu Maru is the fourth vessel of the latest ‘Sayaringo STaGE’ type model and is said to feature 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.
STaGE (‘Steam Turbine and Gas Engines’) is a hybrid propulsion system combining a steam turbine and gas-fired engines. Effective utilisation of waste heat from the engines for the steam turbine provides a substantial improvement in plant efficiency, allowing for high-efficiency navigation in both low and high-speed areas.
Delivery is scheduled for February 2019, after which the Nohshu Maru will be put into service transporting LNG for the Freeport LNG Project in the US state of Texas among other ventures.
