MOL announced that on March 3, a naming and launching ceremonies for the first of Japan’s first two LNG-fueled ferries took place at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works Enoura Plant.
The newbuilding ferry was named “Sunflower Kurenai” and is slated to enter service on the Osaka-Beppu route, operated by Ferry Sunflower, as an alternative of the vessel currently in service in January 2023, after it is delivered from Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.
The new ferry will offer greater transport capacity and convenience for both cargo and passenger transport. In freight transportation, it will significantly increase the number of trucks to be loaded and expand the driver’s room to provide a driver-friendly space.
It will also be Japan’s first ferry, adopting the environmental-friendly specifications as it is equipped with high-performance dual-fuel engine, which can run on both LNG and Heavy Fuel Oil. In addition, LNG is expected to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by about 25%, and sulfur oxide (SOx) by virtually 100%.
The MOL Group established the “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1″in June 2021, and set the target to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. It is promoting the wider adoption of LNG fuel through development and advancement of an LNG fuel supply system in Japan and overseas. It also plans to launch about 90 LNG-fueled vessels by 2030 as an initiative to introduce clean alternative fuels.
