Japanese shipping firm NYK Line has added an LNG-fuelled vehicle carrier to its fleet in Japan.

The Padma Leader has been built at Tadotsu Shipyard of Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding Group, Imabari said in a statement on its website on Friday.

The vessel is equipped with an LNG-capable engine from engine manufacturer Everllence.

The global LNG-fuelled fleet is currently made up of 819 ships, with about 117 being car carriers, according to data from classification society DNV.

As more ships join the global fleet, demand for LNG bunkers and cleaner LNG alternatives such as bio-LNG is expected to grow further.

According to energy firm Shell, LNG bunker demand is projected to reach 16 million mt/year by 2030.