MOL Orders ‘Next-Generation’ Car Carriers

Tokyo-based Mitsui O.S.Okay. Lines (MOL) says it has signed a newbuilding contract for what the corporate describes as subsequent era automobile carriers.

The contract was signed with Usuki City-headquartered Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co. and requires the development of 4 newbuild automobile carriers. The vessels shall be delivered in 2017 and 2018 and serve on MOL’s worldwide automobile service providers.

MOL says the automobile carriers will characteristic deck development that shall be considerably altered to permit 14 decks, up from 12. The variety of liftable decks will even be elevated from two to 6. MOL says which means two adjustable decks could be positioned between two fastened decks, providing better flexibility in accommodating autos of various heights, enhancing loading effectivity and assembly demand for extra diversified car transport.

MOL named the automobile carriers that includes the brand new deck development the “FLEXIE” collection.

The 4 vessels will even be put in with electronically-controlled diesel engine with Low Load Optimisation (LLO) tuning by Exhaust Gas Bypass (EGB) know-how, a waste warmth vitality restoration system for generator engines and electrical energy consumption discount know-how. The vessels’ hull type design will even be improved, particularly for low-speed vary, primarily based on ship efficiency evaluation of current carriers. The ships will even mark a step ahead in wind-pressure lowering design, one of many fundamental applied sciences within the Senpaku ISHIN venture, which MOL has been creating since 2009.

The 4 newbuilds will measure 199.95 lengthy by 32.2 breadth, and have capability for six,800 normal passenger autos.

The FLEXIE collection was developed via a joint venture by MOL, MOL Logistics, Utoc, and Mitsui O.S.Okay. Kinkai. MOL says that it plans to develop a glabal advertising and marketing marketing campaign to advertise the flexibleness of the brand new carriers’ liftable decks.

The FLEXIE collection follows MOL’s 2012 introduction of the Emerald Ace, the world’s first hybrid automobile service that mixes a solar energy era system with lithium-ion batteries. The solar-generated electrical energy is saved within the batteries and used to energy the ship’s electrical programs whereas in port, leading to zero emissions in berth.