Japan's First LNG Bunker Vessel Due 2020

Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation (CLS), a joint venture established by Japanese quartet of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Chubu Electric Power, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, will start operations of Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel in 2020.

The four companies in a joint statement issued July 6 said CLS has ordered an LNG bunkering vessel from Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The vessel, which is scheduled to be delivered around September to December 2020, will become the first to be operated in Japan.

The four companies jointly established CLS and Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation (CLMF) in May of this year to launch the LNG bunkering business in the Chubu (central) region of Japan. The LNG bunkering vessel will be owned and managed by CLS, and LNG will be supplied to end-users through CLMF.