Japan’s first liquid natural gas (LNG) bunker vessel was successfully launched at the Sakaide Works of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. according to Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.

The vessel — with a 3,500-cubic meter capacity — is expected to be delivered at end-September, 2020 becoming the first LNG bunker vessel to be operated in Japan.

The vessel will be based at JERA’s Kawagoe Thermal Power Station to start ship-to-ship LNG bunkering for LNG-fuelled vessels.

In 2018, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., JERA Co. Inc, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha put up the Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation — which owns the LNG bunkering vessel.

The purpose is to promote the LNG bunkering operations in Japan's Chubu region and push a shift to marine LNG for ships.

In compliance with the IMO 2020 rule, the use of LNG as marine fuel can reduce CO2 emissions by about 30%.