The LNG bunkering vessel Kaguya reached a operational milestone on 30 September 2026 when it completed its 200th safe ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation in Mikawa Bay, Japan. Sources indicated the achievement on 8 October 2026.

Operational milestone

The milestone underlines a sustained run of ship-to-ship bunkering assignments carried out by a single specialist vessel in the Chubu region. The report described the 200th operation as a cumulative total, reflecting repeated successful transfers rather than a single campaign.

Kaguya’s 200th operation was recorded in Mikawa Bay, a location where the vessel has been providing ship-to-ship LNG bunkering services. The note of safety in the account indicates that operational procedures and safeguards were highlighted as part of the announcement.

Ownership and services

Kaguya is owned and operated by joint venture companies in which Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., commonly known as "K" LINE, has invested. The transaction partners were not detailed further in the published notes.

The published summary states that "K" LINE has operated an LNG bunkering business for LNG-fuelled vessels, indicating the company’s active involvement in supplying LNG as marine fuel through ship-to-ship transfers. The Kaguya therefore operates within that commercial framework.

The vessel’s role has been presented squarely as providing ship-to-ship LNG bunkering services in the Chubu region, supporting LNG-fuelled shipping calling or operating in and around Mikawa Bay. The announcement framed the 200-operation figure as a cumulative operational achievement for the unit.

Context and implications

While the factual notes focus on the single counted milestone and ownership structure, the detail that operations were described as safe is significant in the narrow sense that safety was foregrounded in the account. No further operational figures, technical particulars or commercial partners beyond the joint-venture ownership and K Line’s investment were supplied in the report.

The published item is limited to the operational total, the date and location of the latest recorded transfer and the ownership stake by K Line. No additional commentary, statistics or statements from company representatives were included in the supplied factual notes.

The report therefore stands as a concise announcement of continued LNG bunkering activity by Kaguya in the Chubu region and of K Line’s connection to that activity through its investment in the joint venture entities that own and operate the vessel. The 200th operation, recorded on 30 September 2026, was the singular measurable highlighted by the account.

Luke Smout, Editor of The Maritime Gazette
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