K Line Orders Four LNG-Fuelled Car Carriers for Europe　川崎汽船、欧州近海向けLNGデュアルフューエルPCTC4隻発注

1,380-Car Capacity Vessels for KESS to Enhance Competitiveness Amid Port Infrastructure Constraints

KESS向け1,380台積み、港湾制約に対応し競争力強化

K Line has signed a shipbuilding contract with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. for four LNG dual-fuel Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) with a capacity of 1,380 vehicles each.

The vessels have been ordered for its wholly owned subsidiary, K Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH (KESS), which operates finished vehicle transportation services in European short-sea trades. The newbuildings are intended to meet growing demand for finished vehicle logistics within Europe.

■The full article covers the following topics (approximately 2,000 Japanese characters)

→ An explanation of the strategic rationale behind K Line’s decision to order four smaller 1,380-car carriers rather than larger PCTCs

→ An introduction to the realities of European short-sea logistics networks and the specialised vessel design developed to address port infrastructure constraints across the region

→ An analysis of how the planned Ice Class 1A notation, enabling operation on Nordic routes, is expected to strengthen KESS’s competitive position

→ A look at new revenue opportunities beyond finished vehicle transportation, including the carriage of construction machinery and other high-and-heavy cargoes

→ Detailed coverage of how the LNG dual-fuel specification and the future use of bio-LNG align with K Line’s broader decarbonisation strategy

Photo courtesy of Kline, K Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH (KESS)

(The remainder of the article is available in both English and Japanese. The Japanese-language version follows the English article.)

川崎汽船、欧州近海向けLNGデュアルフューエルPCTC4隻発注

KESS向け1,380台積み、港湾制約に対応し競争力強化

　川崎汽船は、中国の招商局南京金陵船舶有限公司と1,380台積みのLNGデュアルフューエル自動車専用船（PCTC）4隻の建造契約を締結した。発注先は欧州近海完成車輸送事業を担う100％子会社“K” Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH（KESS）で、欧州域内の完成車物流需要に対応する。

■記事本文では以下の内容を読むことができます（記事全文約2,000文字）

→なぜ川崎汽船は大型PCTCではなく1,380台積みの小型船4隻を選択したのか、その戦略的背景を解説

→欧州の港湾インフラ制約に対応する専用設計とは何か、近海物流ネットワークの実態を紹介

→北欧航路にも対応するアイスクラス1A取得計画がKESSの競争力に与える影響を分析

→完成車輸送だけでなく建設機械などHigh & Heavy貨物も狙う新たな収益機会に注目

→LNGデュアルフューエル化や将来のバイオLNG活用など、川崎汽船の脱炭素戦略との関係を詳報

（続きは英語と日本語で書かれた本文でお読みください。日本語の記事は英文記事に続いて掲載されています）