Japanese shipping company NYK held a naming ceremony on 7 July at the Sakaide Works of Kawasaki Heavy Industries for a newly built very large gas carrier (VLGC), christened the Lyla Pathfinder.

The vessel is the eighth dual-fuel liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier ordered by NYK that uses LPG as fuel. Upon delivery, the ship will be chartered by BGN INT FZCO (BGN) — an LPG trading company headquartered in the United Arab Emirates — for the global transportation of LPG.

Dual-fuel capability and emissions performance

The Lyla Pathfinder is equipped with a dual-fuel engine capable of operating on both heavy fuel oil and LPG. The vessel uses the rotational energy of the shaft connecting the main engine to the propeller for power generation, which NYK notes significantly reduces the need for diesel fuel typically consumed by onboard generators, enabling near-complete operation on LPG alone.

When operating on LPG, NYK claims that emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx) are reduced by more than 95%, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are cut by over 20%, compared with conventional heavy fuel oil.

The vessel has also been designed to accommodate the transport of ammonia, which is positioned as a potential zero-carbon fuel given that it emits no CO₂ during combustion.

Vessel specifications and naming

The Lyla Pathfinder has a length overall of 229.90 metres, a breadth of 37.20 metres, and a depth of 21.90 metres. The vessel has a summer draft of 11.65 metres and a tank capacity of 86,934 cbm.

Approximately 30 stakeholders attended the ceremony. BGN's LPG director, Takayuki Koike, was among those present. BGN’s LPG trader Masao Kawakami formally named the vessel, after which fellow BGN trader Wendy Jungsuk Kwon performed the ceremonial rope cutting.

According to NYK, the name 'Pathfinder' reflects a commitment to a decarbonisation pathway, while 'Lyla' — meaning night in Arabic — evokes the vision of a smooth and trouble-free voyage.