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NYK Line, Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc., Saibu Gas Co., Ltd., and The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding for joint discussions on the commercialization of a new business to supply LNG as a marine fuel to ships in the Setouchi and Kyushu areas of western Japan.

The Setouchi region includes the ports of Hiroshima, Iwakuni, Matsuyama, Okayama, Osaka and Takamatsu.

Kyushu, meanwhile, is the most southwesterly of the country's four main islands. Key port locations include: Hakata, Hososhima, Imari, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Oita and Sasebo.

Back in May, K Line, NYK Line, Chubu Electric Power and Toyota Tsusho Corporation announced that they had established two joint ventures for the launch of a business to supply marine fuel to ships in central Japan, in the Chubu region.

Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation will be the entity responsible for LNG bunkering, whilst Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation will be the owner of the LNG supply vessel used to perform ship-to-ship deliveries.

Last month, Central LNG Shipping Japan Corporation ordered an LNG bunkering vessel from Kawasaki Heavy Industries. It is scheduled to be delivered between September and December 2020 and is set to be the first LNG supply vessel to operate in Japan.