Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) on Wednesday (15 July) said three MOL Group liquified natural gas (LNG)-fuelled vessels – namely the tugboat Ishin and the ferries Sunflower Kurenai (Note 1) and Sunflower Murasaki (Note 1) – have earned the top rating of five stars from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)’s energy conservation rating system for coastal ships (Note 2).
The rating is based on LNG-fuelled ships environmental performance, specifically a reduction of more than 20% in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to vessels powered by conventional heavy oil, it said.
The Ishin, owned by MOL and operated by its group company Nihon Tug-Boat Co and Japan’s first LNG-fueled ferries-the Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki – are under construction and slated for operation by Ferry Sunflower Limited.
The three vessels had already earned the highest rating of four stars under the ministry’s temporary rating system, and with the system in full operation, have once again received top honors.
The Ishin, the first LNG-fueled ship owned by MOL, is in operation and building a solid track record as the first LNG-fueled tugboat serving Osaka Bay.
The Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki are slated for launching from the end of 2022 through the first half of 2023 on the Ferry Sunflower-operated Osaka-Beppu route as an alternative to existing vessels.
(Note 1
Ship names are subject to change.
(Note 2)
The program aims to “visualise” energy savings and the effects of 2 reduction in the vessel planning and design stages and objectively evaluate ships’ energy-saving and CO2 reduction performance to foster the development of coastal ships that offer greater energy saving and CO2 reduction.
Related: Wärtsilä technology solutions conscripted for Japan’s first LNG powered ferries
Related: MOL orders two LNG-fuelled ferries from Mitsubishi Shipbuilding
Related: First LNG bunkering operation conducted at Port of Nagoya in Japan
Related: MOL officially receives delivery of LNG-fuelled tugboat at Kobe port
Photo credit: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
Published: 16 July, 2020
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