Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) took delivery for the LNG-fueled tugboat the company ordered from Kanagawa Dockyard.
The Ishin, the first LNG-fueled tugboat in western Japan, will be operated by MOL Group company Nihon Tug-Boat.
The LNG fuel was supplied by Osaka Gas using a truck-to-ship LNG bunkering procedure in Sakai Senboku Port, MOL said on Thursday.
The Ishin will escort large-size freighters during port calling in/out operations.
MOL said in its statement it aims to accumulate know-how on LNG-fueled vessels through the operation of the Ishin.
The Ishin is Japan’s first tugboat built to conform to the IGF code.
The Ishin is powered by two dual-fuel engines manufactured by Yanmar and features a removable LNG fuel tank mounted on the exposed deck at the stern of the ship.
This enhances convenience in bunkering, maintenance, and inspection, MOL said.