MOL Takes Delivery of LNG Carrier Marvel Eagle

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has taken delivery of the LNG carrier Marvel Eagle, the first of three vessels intended to transport gas in the U.S.

The MOSS-type ship, featuring a capacity of 155,000 cbm, was named on September 5 at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Sakaide Shipyard.

The ship was ordered in an en bloc transaction comprising two ships in 2014, having secured a charter to transport shale gas-derived liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States. The third ship of 177,000 cbm followed suit in 2015.

The freshly-delivered LNG carrier will be employed on transporting LNG from the Mitsui & Co.-backed Cameron LNG project in the U.S. state of Louisiana.

The Marvel Eagle is the first vessel equipped with the high-performance ship operation data collection device, which serves as the foundation of the FOCUS project that MOL recently announced and started putting into action.

Under the project, MOL, Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co. and Weathernews Inc. aim to gather and apply ship operation data to boost vessel operation and management.

Detailed voyage and engine data on actual voyages will be collected from about 150 vessels in operation and stored in a cloud-based data platform to develop applications for advanced ship operation monitoring and propulsion performance analysis that draws upon all three companies’ technology and know-how.

“Detailed voyage and engine data on actual voyages will be collected from the vessel during operation and stored in a cloud-based data platform to develop applications,” MOL said.

Through FOCUS, the three companies want to further develop Condition Based Maintenance (CBM), which relies on engine status diagnosis and failure sign diagnosis technologies, realizing “visualization at sea” by transmitting voice and visual information of vessels in operation to the shore side, optimizing operation by applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and enhancing ship management by applying digital twin technology.

Image Courtesy: MOL