On Aug. 31 at the Oppama factory of Keihin Dock Co. Ltd., NYK received Japan's first LNG-fueled tugboat. The vessel has been named "Sakigake" and is expected to confirm the viability of LNG (liquefied natural gas) as a marine fuel and to help cultivate a new business field in the area of LNG as an environment-friendly marine fuel, according to the company.

Sakigake has been chartered to Wing Maritime Service Corporation from NYK, and will be operated mainly at the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki. This vessel is the second environment-friendly tugboat operated by Wing Maritime Service Corporation, following the delivery of Tsubasa in March 2013.

The new tug is equipped with dual-fuel engines that can use either LNG or diesel oil, depending on conditions. Compared with conventional tugboats that use marine diesel oil, Sakigake emits about 30 percent less carbon dioxide, 80 percent less nitrogen oxide, and no sulfur oxide when using LNG as fuel.