Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) has held a naming ceremony for a newbuilding LNG carrier at a Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea, with the vessel christened Toho Emerald on 9 September.

The vessel is owned through T.K. LNG Shipping Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-registered joint venture between K Line and Toho LNG Shipping Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Toho Gas Co., Ltd. The carrier is intended to transport LNG, including cargoes for Toho Gas.

Toho Emerald has a service speed of 19.5 knots, a length overall of approximately 290 metres, a beam of approximately 45.8 metres, and a tank capacity of 174,000 cbm. It is propelled by a ME-GA dual-fuel engine designed to operate primarily on LNG. Delivery is tentatively scheduled for October 2026.

K Line’s medium-term management plan, published in May 2022, identified the LNG carrier business as one of the areas earmarked for growth. The company has stated its intention to use long-term contracts to stabilise earnings and respond to growing energy demand.