Japan’s Shin Kurushima Dockyard has held a naming ceremony for the Celeste Ace, a new 7,000 CEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel powered car carrier invested by Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL).
The vessel is MOL’s sixth LNG fueled PCTC (pure car and track carrier), out of a total of 14 PCTCs already confirmed for delivery.
The series of PCTCs is nearly 200 meters long and 38 meters wide, with a capacity to carry 7,050 vehicles. Using LNG as fuel, the PCTC is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by about 25-30%, sulfur oxides (SOx) emissions by about 98%, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by about 85%, compared to similar ships using conventional fuel. MOL plans to deliver 90 LNG/methanol-fueled ships by 2030.
In March 2024, Shin Kurushima Dockyard delivered 7,000 CEU LNG dual-fuel PCTC “Cerulean Ace” to MOL, which is the first of 11 new LNG dual-fuel PCTCs ordered by MOL from Japanese shipyards and Will be responsible for transporting cars made by Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Co.
The Cerulean Ace was recently awarded the “Additional Fire-Fighting measures for Vehicle Carrier (AFVC)” certification by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) in recognition of its voluntary on-board fire prevention measures during the transportation of electric vehicles. This is the first time in the world that a shipping company has been certified by a classification society for its voluntary measures to prevent fires on board electric vehicles.
In addition, MOL took delivery of the Turquoise Ace, a 7,000 CEU LNG dual-fuel car carrier built by Tadotsu Shipyard, a subsidiary of Imabari Shipbuilding, in July of this year.
In 2023, MOL announced the naming of the new LNG dual-fuel PCTCs as the “BLUE” series, as well as a new hull color scheme. The “BLUE” series is designed to embody the MOL’s corporate mission of “sustaining people’s lives and securing a prosperous future from the blue ocean.”