- NYK’s sixth dual-fuel VLGC Luna Pathfinder was officially named at Kawasaki Heavy Industries on August 5.
- The vessel will be chartered by Astomos Energy for domestic and international LPG transport.
- Designed to run on LPG and heavy fuel oil, the ship also can carry ammonia for future low-carbon shipping demand.
A naming ceremony was held on August 5 at Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Sakaide Works for Luna Pathfinder, a newly constructed very large gas carrier (VLGC) built for NYK. This marks NYK’s sixth dual-fuel LPG vessel, following the delivery of Liberty Pathfinder in October last year. Once completed, the ship will be chartered by Astomos Energy Corporation for transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) both within Japan and internationally. About 50 guests attended the ceremony, including Toshinobu Sato, Vice President of Astomos Energy, and Hironobu Watanabe, Managing Executive Officer at NYK. The vessel was officially named by Sato, while his wife carried out the traditional ribbon-cutting, according to the report published by NYK Line.
The name Luna Pathfinder reflects the vessel’s alignment with NYK’s decarbonization goals—“Pathfinder” symbolizing direction, and “Luna” invoking peaceful nighttime voyages. The ship is equipped with a dual-fuel engine that runs on both heavy fuel oil and LPG, allowing it to operate with reduced emissions. It uses shaft power to generate electricity during normal sailing, enabling the shutdown of diesel generators and the primary use of LPG. Compared to conventional fuel oil, LPG use cuts sulfur oxide emissions by over 95% and greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20%. The ship is also designed to carry ammonia, anticipating future demand for this low-carbon fuel.
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Source: NYK Line
