Japan: MOL’s third LNG-fuelled ferry “Sunflower Kamuy” starts operation in Oarai

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) on Thursday (23 January) announced that the LNG-fuelled ferry Sunflower Kamuy, owned by MOL and operated by its group company MOL Sunflower, entered service in Oarai.

The vessel will be the third LNG-fuelled ferry operated by MOL Sunflower, following the Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki, which have been in service on the Osaka-Beppu route from 2023.

Sunflower Kamuy will serve the Oarai-Tomakomai route between Ibaraki Prefecture and Hokkaido as a replacement for the Sunflower Daisetsu.

Along with the sister vessel Sunflower Pirka, scheduled to enter service in early summer 2025, MOL Sunflower will operate a fleet of four LNG-fuelled ferries on the Oarai-Tomakomai route and the Osaka-Beppu route within 2025. 

MOL Sunflower operates 10 ferries and 4 RoRo vessels on six routes throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, providing service for both logistics and passengers in Japan.

Photo credit: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
Published: 24 January, 2025