MOL, Mitsubishi welcome newest dual-fuel methanol carrier

Japanese shipping player Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has taken delivery of its latest dual-fuel methanol carrier built by South Korea’s HD Hyundai Mipo (HMD).

As disclosed, the Kohzan Maru VII was handed over to its owner on May 30, just a week following the unit’s christening ceremony. The tanker is set to serve Japan’s Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC) under a long-term charter. The deal was announced and signed back in May 2023.

According to MOL, the Panama-flagged newbuild, featuring a length of 186 meters and a beam of 32 meters, is the first-ever methanol dual-fuel ocean-going vessel that will sail under a long-term charter contract from a Japanese company.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and MGC, which have been pursuing the latest technologies to meet the maritime industry’s evolving needs, have said that the tanker represents an important step in supporting carbon-neutral operations.

As explained, the 47,960 dwt Kohzan Maru VII is the newest iteration of the original unit, the Kohan Maru, which the two had unveiled to the world back in 1983. This first-generation tanker was, at the time, described as Japan’s inaugural methanol dedicated carrier.

The newest ship will now continue the established service of transporting environmentally sustainable methanol derived from renewable sources, while also using methanol as its marine fuel. Its ability to run on methanol is projected to accomplish ‘significant’ reductions in sulfur oxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and particulate matter emissions.

As part of its “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2”, the Tokyo-headquartered player aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. To this end, MOL has pursued the adoption of alternative fuels, with a goal set to have 90 methanol/liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ships in service by 2030.

Representatives from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines have shared that the company operates one of the largest fleets of methanol dedicated vessels, totaling 19 units. These include the 2023-delivered Cypress Sun and the Capilano Sun, which was handed over in 2021. Just like Kohzaru Maru VII, the tankers were constructed by HD Hyundai Mipo.

It has also been noted that, since the delivery of what was hailed at the time as the world’s first methanol dual-fuel vessel in 2016, a total of eight of these ships have been ordered.

In March 2023, a consortium consisting of six firms from Japan, namely, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MOL Coastal Shipping, Tabuchi Kaiun, Niihama Kaiun, Murakami Hide Shipbuilding, and Hanshin Diesel Works, joined forces to work on the development and construction of “Japan’s first” methanol-fueled coastal tanker.

Just a bit over a year later, i.e., at the beginning of July 2024, the unit was launched and christened as the Daiichi Meta Maru. The 65.5-meter-long newbuilding is deployed to transport methanol cargo for Mitsubishi Corporation.