Japan’s first LNG-Fueled Ferry ‘Sunflower Kurenai’ Launched

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.( MOL) revealed that on March 3, an identifying and also releasing events for the very first of Japan’s very first 2 LNG-fueled ferryboats, which were bought with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., were held at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,Ltd Shimonoseki Shipyard & & Machinery Works Enoura Plant (Shimonoseki- shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture), and also the newbuilding ferryboat was called “Sunflower Kurenai” by the mayor of Beppu City Yasuhiro Nagano.

The vessel is slated to go into solution on the Osaka-Beppu course, run by Ferry Sunflower Co.,Ltd (President: MIt sujiro Akasaka; Head Office: Oita- shi, Oita Prefecture) as a choice of the vessel presently in solution in January 2023, after it is supplied from Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.

Compared to the vessels in solution, the brand-new ferryboat will certainly provide better transportation ability and also benefit for both freight and also traveler transportation. In products transport, it will substantially raise the variety of vehicles to be packed and also increase the chauffeur’s area to offer a driver-friendly area.

                                                          Image Credits: mol.co.jp

In enhancement, the flooring location of the Grand Bathroom is increased and also the variety of seats in the dining establishment is bigger 1.5 times, while sizable and also open public area consisting of a three-layer room are recently developed (Note 2). the “Casual Cruise Concept” (Note 3) is better improved on the brand-new vessel.

It will certainly be Japan’s very first ferryboat, taking on the environmental-friendly specs as it is geared up with high-performance dual-fuel engine, which can operate on both LNG and alsoHeavy Fuel Oil In enhancement, LNG is anticipated to lower discharges of co2 (CARBON DIOXIDE) by around 25%, and also sulfur oxide (SOx) by essentially 100%.

The MOL Group developed the “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1” (Note 4) in June 2021, and also established the target to accomplish web absolutely no GHG discharges by 2050. It is advertising the broader fostering of LNG gas via growth and also improvement of an LNG gas supply system in Japan and also overseas. It likewise intends to release concerning 90 LNG-fueled vessels by 2030 as an effort to present tidy different gas (Fig1). In the Ferry Business, adhering to the Sunflower Kurenai and also the 2nd Sunflower Murasaki, 2 innovative LNG-powered ferryboats are intended to be constructed to change the ferryboats in solution on the Oarai-Tomakomai course run by MOL Ferry Co.,Ltd (President: Naotoshi Omoto; Head Office: Chiyoda- ku, Tokyo) in 2025 (Note 5). The team will certainly establish modern technology for LNG-fueled vessels and also risk-free procedure via growth, building and construction, and also procedure of the brand-new ferryboats, and also take an energetic position in promoting using LNG gas. The MOL Group is unified in functioning to fulfill the demands of clients and also culture at big for a cleaner atmosphere and also the awareness of a reduced- and also decarbonized culture.

Comparison with ferryboats in solution

Reference: mol.co.jp