MOL Takes Methanol Fuel Lead

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has ordered methanol carriers with the world’s first methanol burned dual-fueled low-speed diesel main engine.

This engine building has already been completed, and its manufacturer, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. has test-operated the unit using methanol fuelin Tamano Works, and confirmed that it metexpected performance.

MOL ordered methanol carriers, which will be equipped with this diesel main engine, from Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., (President: Ryutaro Ikebe). The vesselswill be delivered in 2016, and serve for Waterfront Shipping Company Limited (*1) (WFS; President: Jone Hognestad) under a long-term charter contract.

By burning methanol with this diesel main engine, emissions of CO2 and NOx are significantly less when burning methanol rather than fuel oil. Thus, methanol is an important fuel that does not include SOx and can replace fuel oil and thereby place fewer burdens on the environment. Besides using methanol to drive the main engine, the new vessel will be one of the first to install the ballast water treatment system and energy saving devices fitted in front and behind the propellers to help improve fuel efficiency. In other words, this new vessel will offer very eco-friendly performance.

As one of the world’s largest methanol carrier owners, MOL will expand its methanol transport service by meetinga broad range of customerneeds with use of the know-how and experience it has accumulated.As part of its environmental strategy, MOL has carried forward its initiatives on air pollution prevention, and continues to take a proactive stance in adoption of various technologies that help reduce the environmental burden of its activities.