K-Line Names Newly-Built LNGC For Jera “Enshu Maru”

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line) and Tokyo Century Corporation held the naming ceremony for the newly-built liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier for JERA Co at Sakaide Shipyard of Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI).

The new vessel was given her name “Enshu Maru” by Chairman of the Board of Directors Akihisa Mizuno of Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. “Enshu Maru” comes from the name of an old district in western Shizuoka Prefecture named “Tohtoumi” which is part of the service area of Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.

Under the operation of LNG Marine Transport Ltd., “Enshu Maru” will mainly serve the transportation route between Freeport LNG project in United States and Japan after delivery, and is expected to contribute to stable transportation of energy for Japan.

The newbuild LNG carrier is powered by a reheat steam turbine. It is a “next-generation LNG carrier propulsion plant of high thermal efficiency and high reliability, incorporating the most advanced materials and control technologies including improvements in steam conditions to raise the thermal efficiency,” the statement said.

JERA, a joint venture comprising of two major Japanese electric companies Tepco and Chubu, has a 25 percent stake in the Freeport LNG export project expected to start operations next year.