In order to operate LNG vessels, seafarers have to be experienced and highly skilled people. Good ship management and operation are among the key parameters for safe transportation. With extreme cold cargo - temperatures lower than minus 160 degrees Celsius - each vessel is high technology on a keel

Yasuhide Sakinaga is the CEO and president of K Line. He took up this position in 2000 after almost 40 years with the company - most of these spent in various management positions. He held the position of chairman of the Japanese Shipowners' Association from 2001 to 2003.

Yasuhide Sakinaga is the CEO and president of K Line. He took up this position in 2000 after almost 40 years with the company - most of these spent in various management positions. He held the position of chairman of the Japanese Shipowners' Association from 2001 to 2003.

Japanese shipowner K Line, which operates one of the world's largest and most advanced fleets, repeats the concerns of many when it points to the need to develop and maintain highly trained LNG officers to serve the global fleet.

Yasuhide Sakinaga, the CEO of the company and former chairman of the Japanese Shipowners' Association, believes the demand caused by new trades, plus increased volumes within existing trades, will not only increase the demand for the best vessels but also the need for educated, qualified and well-trained seafarers. But, he says, "it may be difficult to get enough good LNG people to meet the demand."

Zero accidents
"Our seafarers and the whole K Line organisation have a good track record. For example, in the large-scale project to transport LNG from Indonesia to Japan, for which seven LNG carriers have been developed over the past 20 years, we have already recorded our 1200th no-accident voyage," says Sakinaga, with justifiable pride.

K Line has two training centres in Asia - one in Japan and one in the Philippines - and with 24 LNGCs in the K Line fleet they're put to good use. However, as the total number of LNG carriers is expected to grow from today's 166 to some 300 within five years, Sakinaga has put in place several initiatives in order to prepare for this growth.

For example, new bases have been established in London and Houston with the objective of meeting new technical and manpower challenges when the LNG trade moves to new areas in the arctic northern Atlantic.

Arctic pioneer
Sakinaga says that these have been the most important developments to take place within K Line over the past twelve months, although he admits that developments are much wider in scope than just the establishment of two new bases. "K Line will be operating two of the vessels for transporting LNG from the Snohvit project in the very north of Norway to the USA and Spain - both to be classed by DNV. It is important to be a pioneer in these areas.

The sea can be rough, but I want to add that ships within three of our business lines have been operating in rough seas for a long time," says Sakinaga. Currently, 13 countries import LNG and this figure is expected to increase to 20 by 2010.

"While huge importing countries such as Japan will still have mostly fixed trades for LNG, more flexible trades will be introduced when new players such as the US and nations in Europe enter the stage. My message to all those involved is: don't just compete, cooperate too.

"Class societies have a big role to play in accumulating new and safe technology. They have a lot of power. Utilise this power and invite other interested parties. Use IACS in a positive way and pay attention to the very exciting and promising future for the LNG trades."