MOL’s newest LNG dual-fuel 210,000 dwt bulker christened and delivered

Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry (BSIC) and China Shipbuilding Trading (CSTC), both arms of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), have rolled out the red carpet for the final dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered bulk carrier in a series constructed for Japan’s shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL).

As disclosed, Beihai Shipbuilding and CSTC held a naming ceremony for the fourth 210,000 dwt LNG-fueled bulker made for MOL on November 5. The Liberia-flagged newbuilding was christened Ruri Earth.

Following the christening ceremony, the Capesize bulker was then handed over to its owner, representatives from the state-owned CSSC have shared. The company added that the unit’s delivery marks the completion of the first batch of collaborative projects with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.

The second batch of vessels for MOL is reportedly slated for construction in the first half of 2026.

As informed, the eco-friendly Ruri Earth was designed by CSSC’s China Ship Design & Research Center (CSDC), and classed by the Japanese organization Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, also known as ClassNK. It boasts an overall length of 299.95 meters, a breadth of 50 meters and a depth of 25.2 meters, with the ability to achieve a service speed of 14 knots.

Given that the latest addition to MOL’s fleet was outfitted with an LNG dual-fuel propulsion system, CSSC has highlighted that Ruri Earth is compliant with the newest environmental stipulations set by institutions like the UN’s shipping body, the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Specifically, owing to liquefied natural gas, the bulk carrier could achieve a ‘significant’ reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with data published by industry coalition SEA-LNG suggesting that units equipped with dual-fuel liquefied natural gas propulsion are, at present, compliant until 2039 with the capability to cut up to 23% of GHG emissions.

To remind, Ruri Earth is part of an order that MOL placed at the Chinese yard back in August 2022. The booking was said to be one of the steps in the company’s vision of having at least 90 ships powered by LNG by 2030.

In addition to these Capesize bulkers, MOL had at the time inked a separate contract with compatriot shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) for the construction of a pair of 309,000 dwt VLCCs, which would be built by Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., a yard jointly operated by KHI and China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited.

On the other hand, in January 2024, Beihai Shipbuilding sent off the third—and final in the series—210,000-ton LNG dual-fuel bulk carrier to South Korea’s H-Line Shipping. The South Korean maritime transport player had tapped the yard for these units back in 2021.