Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced that on October 31, the wood chip carrier SOUTHERN TREASURE with a cargo capacity of 4.3 million-cubic feet, was delivered at Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. MOL will operate the vessel, which transport wood chips for Hokuetsu Corporation, the company said in its release.
The vessel is equipped with a SOx scrubber and Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) to comply with today's stricter environmental regulations. It features Oshima Shipbuilding's technologies such as Seaworthy Bow (a bow shape that reduces the decline in vessel speed during adverse weather), a cutting-edge hull shape with an improved stern shape, and Advanced Flipper Fins (energy-saving equipment to improve propulsion efficiency), and Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCF). This environment-friendly vessel also features an electronically controlled engine and low-friction ship bottom paint, achieving a significant reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in comparison with ordinary wood chip carriers.
The name of the vessel "SOUTHERN TREASURE" is derived from its cargo, wood chips, which are produced in Chile, South Africa, Australia, Vietnam, and other Southern countries, and represent "treasure" delivered to Hokuetsu Corporation. It also calls to mind the idea of a "treasure ship."