Three LNG-fueled vessels get Japan’s top energy conservation rating
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced that three MOL Group LNG-powered vessels (the tugboat Ishin and the ferries Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki) have earned the top rating of five stars from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s (MLIT) energy conservation rating system for coastal ships. The rating is based on LNG-fueled ships environmental performance, specifically a reduction of more than 20% in emissions of CO2 compared to vessels powered by conventional heavy oil.
The three vessels had already earned the highest rating of four stars under the ministry’s temporary rating system, and with the system in full operation, have once again received top honors.
Japan’s first LNG-fueled ferries-the Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki are under construction and will be operated by Ferry Sunflower Limited on the Osaka-Beppu route as an alternative to existing vessels. They are slated for launching from the end of 2022 through the first half of 2023
The Ishin, owned by MOL and operated by its group company Nihon Tug-Boat Co., Ltd., is building a solid track record as the first LNG-fueled tugboat serving Osaka Bay.
