The company signed a deal for construction of four 210,000 DWT-class Capesize bulkers with CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (Chairman: Chen Qing; headquarters: Qingdao, China). This is MOL's first time to order newbuilding vessel from this shipyard. The new ships are slated for delivery in succession from 2025 through 2026.
MOL also concluded a contract for construction of two 309,000 DWT-class VLCCs with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI; President: Yasuhiko Hashimoto; headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo). This new ordered VLCC will be built by Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd.(Headquarters: Dalian, China) jointly operated by KHI and China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited. This is the first LNG-fueled VLCC ordered from a Japanese tanker operator. The newbuilding VLCCs are scheduled for delivery from 2025 through 2026.
Capesize bulker
- LOA: About 300m
- Breadth: About 50m
- DWT: About 210,000MT
- Delivery Schedule: 2025-2026
VLCC
- LOA: About 339.5m
- Breadth: About 60m
- DWT: About 309,000MT
- Delivery Schedule: 2025-2026
Compared to conventional marine fuel oil, LNG is expected to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by about 25%-30% and other GHG emissions. It has advanced the adoption of LNG-fueled vessels as a currently feasible initiative on reducing GHG emissions. LNG can be substituted with a view to shifting toward synthetic methane produced using renewable energy sources, which can significantly reduce GHG emissions. MOL aims to further reduce GHG emissions by adopting LNG-fueled vessels as a transition towards the aim of Net Zero Emission by 2050.
MOL Group has ordered 16 ocean-going LNG-fueled vessels which includes these Capesize bulkers and VLCCs, in addition to car carriers, bulkers, and six coastal vessels which are ferries, tugboat, and coastal cargo vessel. It will further continue to widen the use of LNG fuel as an initiative that it can take now, to accelerate toward the complete elimination of GHG emission