MOL orders dual-fuel bulk carrier under charter with KEPCO

Japanese shipping firm Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has placed an order for a dual-fuel bulk carrier with shipbuilder Oshima Shipbuilding.

PHOTO: MOL’s LNG-powered bulk carrier concept. MOL

The vessel can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or conventional marine fuels.

The bulk carrier is being built under a charter agreement with Japanese power company Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO). Upon completion, the vessel will be used to transport coal from overseas for KEPCO’s Maizuru Power Station in addition to an ongoing contract.

The vessel is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2026.

LNG has been gaining popularity among shipowners. The global LNG-fuelled fleet is currently made up of 399 vessels, with another 145 expected to join this year, according to classification society DNV data.

LNG can curb carbon dioxide emissions by about a quarter compared to conventional bunker fuels. But its methane emissions can be 36 times more potent as a GHG compared to carbon dioxide over a century, according to a World Bank study.

By Tuhin Roy

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