Japanese carriers Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) have each ordered two newbuilding LNG carriers on the back of long term charter contracts with Chubu Electric Power.
The four new LNG carriers, with capacity ranging from 177,000-180,000 cu m, will transport LNG that Chubu Electric Power is procuring from the Freeport LNG Project in the US state of Texas.
MOL has ordered one new ship each at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, while NYK went to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works to build one unit and Kawasaki to build another. The deliveries for all four newbuildings are all scheduled in 2018.
MOL said its new LNG carriers will feature Moss-type non-spherical tanks and diesel-electric propulsion, while NYK said one unit will run on dual fuel diesel electric main engine and the other will run on steam turbine and gas engine.
