MOL, Mitsubishi Welcome Dual-Fuel Methanol Carrier Newbuild

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has taken delivery of the Kohzan Maru VII, a newbuilding dual-fuel methanol carrier, which will serve Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC) under a long-term charter.

The Kohzan Maru VII was delivered at HD Hyundai Mipo shipyard, where the naming ceremy took place.

The vessel is the first methanol dual-fuel ocean-going vessel to sail under a long-term chartered by a Japanese charterer.

Back in 1983, MOL and MGC introduced Japan’s first methanol dedicated carrier, the Kohzan Maru, pioneering safe and efficient marine transport of methanol.

Building on the expertise gained from the first-generation Kohzan Maru, Kohzan Maru VII will advance the use of sustainable methanol by utilizing it as its marine fuel, as well as transporting environmentally sustainable methanol derived from renewable resources by MGC.

Since the delivery of the world’s first methanol dual-fuel vessel in 2016, a total of eight of those vessels, including the Kohzan Maru VII, have been ordered. Drawing upon its extensive expertise, MOL aims to further expand its methanol dual-fuel fleet as it works toward the achievement of net-zero emissions.