Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) is pleased to announce the signing of a 15-year long-term time charter contract (with an option to extend the contract up to 10 additional years) with Mitsubishi Corporation subsidiary Diamond Gas International Pte. Ltd. (DGI). “K” LINE has also concluded a shipbuilding contract with Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (Samsung) for a 174,000 m3 LNG carrier.
This is the first long-term time charter contract between DGI and “K” LINE involving a newly built vessel. The plan is for this new vessel to be engaged in LNG transportation around the world beginning in the second half of 2026. This vessel will be equipped with an ME-GA engine and achieve the reduction of environmental impact through the reduction of fuel consumption during operation.
“K” LINE points out that in the 40 years since the delivery of the first Japanese LNG carrier, Bishu Maru, in 1983, it has been establishing its expertise in LNG transportation and developing a worldwide network. The signing of the new contracts is testament to its experience supervising vessel construction, its high-quality ship management, and its ability to boast the highest level of safety in its commercially optimized operations.
