NYK Stolt Shipholdings Inc. (NSSH) launched as a joint venture company by NYK and Stolt Tankers B.V., the tanker division of Stolt-Nielsen Limited, a Norwegian business group ” has ordered two 12,500 deadweight ton parcel tankers to Usuki Shipyard Co. Ltd.

On June 27, the shipbuilding company held a signing ceremony that was attended by Jiro Kadota, president of Usuki Shipyard Co. Ltd.; Yoshiaki Ishihara, president of JFE Kozai Corporation; Toshikazu Hirabayashi, general manager of Stolt Nielsen Japan Co. Ltd.; and Eiji Tominaga, general manager of the Energy Coordination Group at NYK.

Parcel tankers are a versatile chemical tanker that can transport various types of cargoes at the same time, and these two new vessels are the ninth and tenth vessel ordered, following the eight that NSSH currently holds and operates. The two tankers, which will be delivered from shipyard in July 2016 and September 2016 respectively, will have the most advanced environmental technology with 18 stainless-steel cargo tanks. These parcel tankers will be chartered to Stolt NYK Asia Pacific Services Inc. (SNAPS), which is a joint venture company between NYK and Stolt Tankers B.V. for operating the vessels. The new tankers will replace tonnage which is currently slated for retirement or redelivery.

In addition to NSSH and SNAPS, NYK and Stolt Tankers B.V. have also developed a parcel tanker company within the deep-sea trade, and currently operate six parcel tankers size is whose around 22,000"39,000 deadweight tons under the name of NYK Stolt Tankers S.A..

Based on NYK's medium-term management plan More Than Shipping 2018, NYK will maintain a competitive fleet within joint venture partner Stolt Tankers in the growing chemical market by operating parcel tankers that offer needed complex, high-quality operations.