MOL decided to expand its fleet with 5 New LNG-fueled Capesize Bulkers

Steady Progress toward Goal of '90 LNG/Methanol Vessels' by 2030

Tokyo - December 19, 2023

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL: President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that it has decided to expand its fleet with the additional five Newbuilding Dual-fueled Capesize bulkers, which can burn either LNG or conventional marine fuel oil.

Two of the vessels will be ordered to Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. (President: Yoshinori Maeta; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) and built by Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Yukito Higaki, Head Office: Imabari, Ehime) and three will be built by CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Wen YongSheng, Head Office: Qingdao, China). The vessels are slated for delivery from 2026 to 2027.

Including these 5 vessels, MOL will add a total of 13 LNG-fueled Capesize bulkers in their fleet. Among them, MOL has been operating one vessel since March 2023 and has supplied LNG fuel to it.

Compared to conventional marine fuel oil, LNG is expected to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a greenhouse gas (GHG), by about 25%, sulfur oxide (SOx) by 100%, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) by about 85%. It also has a proven track record of being used as marine fuel.

The MOL Group has set the target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 in the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2." The group has been expanding its LNG-fueled fleet, with car carriers, bulk carriers, tankers, ferries, and tugboats. The group will further expand the adoption of LNG-fueled vessels as an initiative that it can take immediately, and accelerate its efforts to reduce total GHG emissions.


Images by MOL.

Please refer to the following related press releases and websites.
*1 November 14, 2023: LNG-fueled Panamax Coal Carrier Reimei Commences Operation
*2 July 12, 2023: LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin Marks 100th LNG Bunkering
*3 January 16, 2023: Japan's 1st LNG-fueled ferry, Sunflower Kurenai, Enters Service - Reducing Environmental Impact, Realizing Modal Shift and Offering 'Casual Cruise' - April 17, 2023: MOL Group's 2nd LNG-fueled Ferry, Sunflower Murasaki, Enters Service - New Company Plans to Operate 4 Vessels by 2025 as MOL Group Steadily Expands LNG-fueled Fleet -
*4 Ise Mirai | MOL Coastal Shipping, Ltd. (mol-naikou.co.jp)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. press release