The world’s first LNG-fueled panamax bulk carrier has started operating. The coal carrier， owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and on charter to Kyushu Electric Power (Kyuden)， was built at Oshima Shipyard and is called Shoyo. The ship’s first LNG bunkering took place yesterday.

LNG is shipping’s top alternative fuel today， with methanol beginning to catch up.

“Green fuel solutions will not arrive in a big-bang process， instead we will see the incremental decarbonisation of existing assets as fuel production， transportation， storage and bunkering infrastructure and engine technologies develop，” commented Peter Keller， chairman of the gas fuel lobby group SEA-LNG， in a recent release.