Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line) has signed shipbuilding contracts with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. for four LNG dual-fuel car carriers, the Japanese shipping company announced on 4 June.

The vessels, each with a maximum capacity of approximately 1,380 vehicles, have been ordered for K Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH (KESS), the company's wholly owned European subsidiary, which operates short-sea and coastal transport services for completely built-up cars across Europe.

According to K Line, the vessels have been designed for the frequent transport of small lots in European short-sea shipping and to comply with size restrictions at certain European ports that handle imported cars. K Line said it is confident these specifications will give KESS a competitive advantage in its European short-sea operations.

As regards marine fuel, K Line notes that the use of LNG fuel is expected to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 25% to 30% and sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions by almost 100% compared with conventional vessels running on heavy fuel oil.

The vessels are equipped with high-pressure ME-GI engines with shaft generators, a configuration that K Line says reduces methane slip — uncombusted gas that escapes into the atmosphere and acts as a greenhouse gas (GHG). To further limit methane slip, the ships will use vacuum-insulated LNG tanks to reduce the generation of boil-off gas (BOG), which would otherwise be used as fuel for generator engines.

K Line also noted that it would consider the use of biodiesel, bio-LNG and liquefied biomethane as additional measures to further reduce GHG emissions.

Each vessel measures approximately 129.95 metres in overall length and 20.5 metres in width, and carries an ice class rating of 1A. The ships are fitted with straight stern ramps capable of handling loads of up to 60 tonnes — designed to enhance KESS's ability to handle heavy and oversized cargo alongside passenger cars.

The order forms part of K Line's broader decarbonisation strategy, set out under its long-term environmental policy, K Line Environmental Vision 2050: Blue Seas for the Future, which was established in 2015 and revised in 2020. The policy sets a target of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, with the continuous use of bio-LNG described by the company as one of its key initiatives towards that goal.

K Line said it would continue to pursue decarbonisation across the marine transport sector, including through the use of carbon-neutral and zero-emission fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen, bio-LNG and synthetic fuels.