Toyofuji Shipping, the shipping and logistics arm of giant car manufacturer Toyota, is lining up an order for two dual-fuel LNG pure car/truck carriers (PCTC) in Japan.
An agreement has been struck to order two 3,000-ceu at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with delivery scheduled for 2025, according to reports in Japan.
The ships will operate in the intra-Asia trades.
These are the first LNG dual-fuel vessels ordered by Toyofuji. The investment is being viewed as part of parent Toyota’s corporate pledge to decarbonise its business by 2050.
The decarbonisation plan includes an interim target of reducing carbon emissions by 30%, compared to 2019 levels, by 2030.
LNG-fuelled vessels can reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 25%, compared to conventional marine fuel oil.
Toyofuji operates fleet of 20 car carriers and transports around 2.3 million cars annually.
The company has also committed to decarbonise its business and has experimented with blending biofuel and marine fuel on the 12,687-gt Toyofuji Maru (built 2008).
Pick up
There has been a pick up in ordering in car carriers recently amid improved prospects for the market.
Japan’s Santoku Senpaku recently signed up for five LNG dual-fuel 7,500-ceu PCTCs at China’s Fujian Shipbuilding.
LNG has become the mainstream alternative fuel for new car carriers.
According to broker Clarksons all the car carriers currently on order have the option to run on LNG or an alternative fuel source.
The Toyofuji order is likely to be built at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shimonoseki Shipyard which is specialising in ferries and ro-ro vessels.
