Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” LINE) has signed shipbuilding contracts for four LNG dual-fuel car carriers to strengthen its European short-sea shipping operations.
The vessels, ordered through the company’s European subsidiary KESS, will be built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard and are designed specifically for short-sea transport operations across Europe.
Each vessel will have a carrying capacity of approximately 1,380 vehicles and has been designed to accommodate the size restrictions found at several European ports handling imported vehicles.
According to K LINE, the ships will feature straight stern ramps with a 60-ton load capacity, allowing greater flexibility for transporting heavy and oversized cargo alongside passenger vehicles.
The company said the use of LNG fuel is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by between 25% and 30% compared with conventional heavy fuel oil-powered vessels, while sulphur oxide emissions are expected to be almost completely eliminated.
The vessels will also incorporate high-pressure ME-GI engines equipped with shaft generators to reduce methane slip emissions. In addition, vacuum-insulated LNG tanks will be used to minimise boil-off gas generation and improve fuel efficiency.
“K” LINE noted that it is also evaluating the future use of bio-diesel and bio-LNG fuels as part of wider decarbonisation efforts across its fleet.
The newbuildings form part of the company’s broader strategy under its Environmental Vision 2050 framework, which targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Main specifications of the vessels include:
• Overall length: approximately 129.95 metres
• Beam: approximately 20.5 metres
• Vehicle capacity: around 1,380 units
• Ice class: 1A
The vessels are expected to strengthen KESS’ position in the European short-sea market by improving operational flexibility while supporting lower-emission transport solutions.
