Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. inked a deal with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) for the construction of two LNG-fuelled ferries, representing the first project of this kind ever made in Japan.
Accordingly, the two vessels will be constructed at the Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works, with successive completion and handover scheduled for the end of 2022 to early 2023.
Ferry Sunflower Limited based in Oita, will operate the ferries on its Osaka-Beppu route.
The two ferries will have a maximum prescribed capacity for 763 passengers and carrying capacity for around 136 13-meter trucks and 100 passenger cars.
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Also, the main power plant will be a high-performance dual-fuel engine able to run on both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and A‐type heavy oil, the first for a Japanese ferry.
These engines are set to provide a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to existing vessels and eliminate sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions.
Concluding, MOL commented that the ferries, which will be called “Sunflower Kurenai” and “Sunflower Murasaki” will be quieter than the existing ones.
