Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced that on September 4, the naming and launching ceremony was held for the LNG-fueled ferry Sunflower Pirka, under construction at Naikai Zosen Corporation by MOL and MOL Group company MOL Sunflower Ltd. The LNG-fueled tugboat Ishin, operated by MOL Group company Nihon Tug-Boat Co., Ltd. assisted with towing operations during the launch of the ferry. MOL will proactively adopt LNG, a low-carbon fuel that can be put to practical use immediately, and lead the world toward the realization of a low-carbon/decarbonized society.
With the newbuilding ferry, the Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki already in service on the Osaka-Beppu route since 2023, and the sister ship Sunflower Kamuy, which is scheduled to enter service in early 2025 as the first ship on the Oarai-Tomakomai route, the MOL Group will operate a fleet of 4 LNG-fueled ferries on East-West routes in Japan. Boasting Japan's largest service route network and the most LNG-fueled ferries in operation, the group offers stable services in both logistics and passenger services. MOL Sunflower as a whole operates 10 ferries and 5 RORO vessels on 6 routes giving the company the Japan's largest ferry fleet and most extensive route network, offering reliable service for both logistics and passengers.
The ferry will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 35% compared to vessels currently serving on the Hokkaido route, thereby contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions in society as a whole, by adopting the Ishin hull form, which can use oblique headwinds as propulsion, and various other state-of-the-art technologies, such as energy-saving devices developed by Naikai Zosen, all of which will be adopted in addition to the installation of high-performance engines that use LNG fuel.
The ferry will also support Japan's Modal Shift and solve the "2024 logistics problem" by providing more space for trucks than current vessels and more comfortable space for truck drivers by making all cabins private rooms.
Owned by MOL and operated by Nihon Tug-Boat, this LNG-fueled tugboat is a pioneer in LNG-fueled vessels and was delivered in February 2019. MOL has built a number of LNG-fueled vessels by leveraging the knowledge and expertise gained through the development and operation of the Ishin, and this knowledge is greatly utilized on the newly launched LNG-fueled ferry Sunflower Pirka.