Japanese chemical and clean products tanker operator Asahi Tanker has ordered two emissions-free 4,500-dwt tankers at an undisclosed Japanese shipyard.

The state-of-the-art green ship design is the result of work by e5 Lab Inc, a joint research and development company that was established last summer between Asahi Tanker, MOL, Mitsubishi Corp and Exeno Yamamizu Corp.

Powered by 3,500-kwh lithium-ion batteries, Asahi described the so-called e5 tanker design as “pure battery tankers”.