On December 19, Merchant Marine Mitsui (MOL) announced that it will build five new dual-fuel capesize bulk carriers to expand its fleet.
Two of the vessels will be ordered from Nihon Shipyard and built by Imabari Shipbuilding. The other three will be built by CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding. The new vessels will all be delivered between 2026 and 2027.
The bulk carriers are 300 meters in length and 50 meters in breadth, with two built by Imabari Shipbuilding of 209,000 DWT and three built by Hokkai Shipbuilding of 210,000 DWT.
Including these five new vessels, MOL is said to be adding a total of 13 LNG-fueled capesize bulk carriers, the first of which has already begun operations in March 2023.
LNG is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 25%, sulfur oxide emissions by 100%, and nitrogen oxide emissions by about 85% compared to conventional marine fuels.
MOL has set a goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Now, the shipowner has been expanding its fleet of LNG-fueled vessels, covering car carriers, bulk carriers, tankers, ferries and tugs.
This is the 2nd batch of new ship orders received by Beihai Shipbuilding this month. On December 5, at the Marintec China, Beihai Shipbuilding was awarded a construction contract for four 325,000 DWT methanol dual-fuel ultra-large ore carriers.
This type of vessel is specially designed for Brazilian mining giant Vale to transport iron ore, and adopts a number of energy-saving technologies such as methanol dual-fuel system and wind rotor, high-voltage shore power, etc., which is regarded as the world’s most energy-saving super-large ore ship.