Japanese Shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries Delivers New LPG-Powered Carrier

Japanese shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has delivered a new LPG-powered LPG/ammonia carrier with an increased cargo capacity.

The newbuild named Crystal Odyssey boasts a cargo capacity of 86,700 cubic meters (cbm) and ammonia loading capability while keeping its principal dimensions, like length (229.9 meters), similar to conventional-type vessels, so it can be berthed at major LPG terminals around the world, KHI revealed.

The Crystal Odyssey is the eighth of Kawasaki’s newest-design 86,700 cbm capacity, LPG-fueled LPG/ammonia carriers. At the same time, it marks the fifteenth LPG-propelled vessel and the seventy-eighth LPG carrier in total for KHI.

The newbuild is equipped with separate cargo tanks and is capable of simultaneously transporting LPG and ammonia, which is expected to serve as a useful new fuel amid widespread efforts toward the realization of low- and zero-carbon-emission societies.

In addition to exploring ammonia as an alternative marine fuel, KHI recently joined forces with compatriot Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United Corporation to commence a joint study to establish a construction scheme for liquefied hydrogen carriers.

The study will examine the feasibility of a collaborative construction scheme that utilizes the companies’ respective resources, such as facilities and human resources, for the construction of liquefied hydrogen carriers following the first commercial carrier to be designed and built by Kawasaki.