North Pioneer Gas Carrier

Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation has completed construction of the pressure build-up type 2,500m3 LNG carrier, NORTH PIONEER (HN: 1571), for the co-owners, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency and Japan Liquefied Gas Transport Co., Ltd. The carrier is the second ship built by the company for coastal LNG transportation in Japan. Kawasaki built the cargo tanks that are the core facility of the carrier, and installed them on the hull, which was subcontracted to Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co., Ltd. Kawasaki developed the NORTH PIONEER as a coastal carrier suitable for small quantities of LNG. The carrier uses the pressure build-up type LNG cargo tanks designed with Kawasaki’s rich experience and technical expertise related to LNG carrier construction. The tank system has sufficient capacity to endure rising pressure due to heat ingress without releasing boil off gas. (Heat from the outside is accumulated in LNG, as a result, LNG temperature and vapor pressure rise gradually.) The LNG cargo tanks consist of two metallic cylindrical containers, which are horizontally installed in the cargo compartments of the carrier. The heat insulation and support system separates the containers from the ship hull, permitting contraction of the containers due to low temperature.
Cargo compartments are designed with double hull construction for the ship bottom and sides. This ensures safety in the event of collision or stranding. The compartments are also shielded with tank covers from the open air as in a large LNG carrier. The popular small marine diesel engine is used as the main engine because there is no need for BOG treatment as on a large LNG carrier.
The ship has overal length of 89.2 meters, length between perpendiculater 83.0 meters, beam of 15.3 meters, draft of 4.3 meters, while the ship is fully loaded. The deadweight of the vessel is 1,938 metric tons and the gross tonnage is 3,056 gross tons.