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K Line, Chubu Electric Power, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, and NYK Line have announced that they have agreed to launch an LNG bunkering business in Japan, establishing two joint venture businesses on Thursday: Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation and Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation.

Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation will be the entity responsible for LNG bunkering, whilst Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation will be the owner of the LNG supply vessel used to perform ship-to-ship deliveries.

The latest development follows an announcement in January that the aforementioned firms had begun joint discussions on the commercialization of a new business to supply LNG as a marine fuel to ships in the Chubu region of Japan.

The Chubu region includes Nagoya, which was the port to record Japan's fourth-biggest container volume in 2016, handling 2.65 million TEUs, according to data released by the Nagoya municipal government.

Other ports in the region include Atami, Ito, Mikawa, Numazu, Oigawa, Omaezaki, Shimizu, Shimoda, Tagonoura, Toba and Yokkaichi.

NYK Line is already a shareholder in LNG bunker supply specialist Gas4Sea, together with Engie and Mitsubishi. The firm also announced a partnership with another power company, Kyushu Electric Power, last year.

Back in 2016, NYK also teamed up with Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Tokyo Gas to examine the possibility of establishing LNG bunkering stations in Japan, with Yokohama used as a test case.

K Line, meanwhile, agreed last year to work on a joint study with K Line Kinkai to develop an LNG-fuelled passenger ferry for K Line Kinkai.

The ship owner also forms part of a working group to conduct a feasibility study on LNG bunkering for car carriers operating between Japan and Singapore.