The 77000 tonne Neng Yuan left Rason on April 1, before heading to Hong Kong

A large freighter left a coal terminal at Rason port at the start of April and sailed to a coal terminal near Hong Kong, analysis of ship tracking data and satellite imagery indicates.

The Panama-flagged Neng Yuan is very large by the standards of vessels that typically visit North Korea, able to carry to over 77,000 tonnes of bulk cargos like coal and measuring nearly 230 meters long.

Satellite imagery of Rason taken on April 1 shows a ship bearing a strong resemblance to the Neng Yuan docked at the port’s coal terminal.

A large vessel