Debut for new coal carrier

Japanese shipping firm, Mitsui OSK Line (Mol), has taken delivery of a 99 000 t bulk carrier to transport coal for power utility, Chubu Electric Power.

The Shin Yahagi Maru succeeds the 88 000 t Yahagi Maru, a coal carrier that served Chubu for 21 years. The new vessel will work along with the existing 77 000 t Aomi to supply Chubu with coal. Shin Yahagi Maru was jointly developed by Mol and Japanese shipbuilder, Namura Shipbuilding. It was built at Namura's Imari shipyard in the Saga prefecture.

According to Argus Media, the new coal carrier has left for Indonesia's Tanjung Bara coal terminal for loading. It has a 250 m width to maximise delivery volumes at Chubu's Hekinan power plant on Chiba bay in Aichi prefecture. The 4100 MW Hekinan is the company's sole coal-fired power generation plant.

Japanese shipping companies have been building up their fleet of coal carriers to accommodate strong coal demand from power utilities, as well as demand to replace old vessels with more fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly new generation ships.

Edited from various sources by Sam Dodson

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/handling/22012015/coal-carrier-debuts-for-chubu-electric-1779/