Japan’s First LNG Tugboat Completed for NYK Line

The building of Japan’s first LNG-fueled tugboat was completed for Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) by Keihin Dock Co.’s Oppama plant on August 31. The vessel, which is named Sakigake (Presto), will be used to verify the effectiveness of LNG as a marine fuel.

The ship is chartered to the Wing Maritime Service Corporation and will engage in work mainly in Yokohama and Kawasaki Ports. It is equipped with dual-fuel engines that can use either heavy marine oil or LNG as fuel. NYK says it will meet all requirements of a tugboat while delivering superior environmental performance.

Tokyo Gas refueling Shikage LNG bunkering LNG supply to the ship is done from the docks of Yokohama by the “Truck to Ship” method, with fuel supplied by Tokyo Gas Co. The first truck to ship refueling in Japan was successfully completed in July this year when the vessel was commissioned.