Containership MOL PRESENCE Receives Permission to Call at Hong Kong

April 8, 2011

TOKYO—Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) today reported that the MOL-operated containership MOL PRESENCE arrived in Hong Kong, and received permission to call at the port at 14:00 JST on Friday, April 8 (local time: 13:00), 2011.

Background
On March 22, the company received a report alleging higher than normal radiation had been detected on the MOL PRESENCE during quarantine inspection at Xiamen Port in Fujian Province, PRC.

Re-measurement was conducted on March 26, and the port authority notified MOL that "A maximum of 3.5 micro sieverts per hour radiation was detected on board, which is a higher level than the allowable maximum under the present standard, therefore the vessel must be cleaned to reduce the radiation before it can be allowed to off-load its cargo at the port."

However, on-site inspection by a third party was not approved, so the MOL PRESENCE departed Xiamen on March 27, and was again inspected by Nippon Kaiji Kentei Kyokai off Kobe Port on March 30. Subsequent to that inspection, MOL received a report that the detected radiation level was significantly lower than the level detected in Xiamen.

The MOL PRESENCE departed for Hong Kong on April 1, and, as a result of inspection by the Hong Kong port authority, radiation safety was confirmed and the vessel received permission to berth and conduct cargo operation.

Specifications of MOL PRESENCE:
Gross tonnage: 71,776 dwt
Flag: Singapore
No. of seafarers: 23 Indians
No. of containers loaded: 4,698 TEU (equivalent to 4,698 20-foot containers)

The MOL PRESENCE passed some 67 nautical miles (about 124km) offshore of the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant around 18:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, on its way to Tokyo from Oakland, the U.S. (departed on March 4). After it called at the Port of Tokyo on Thursday March 17, (arrived in port at 07:45 a.m., departed at 19:25 p.m.), and steamed on to the Port of Xiamen in China.

As of March 15, the Japan Coast Guard issued a precautionary notification for vessels to avoid the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant (37 25.5 N 141 02.0 E) by at least 30 km. The U.S. Coast Guard also issued a precautionary notification advising vessels to avoid the nuclear plant by a minimum of 50 miles (43nm, 80 km).

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.