Japan’s shipping giant MOL has taken delivery of the LNG dual-fuel car carrier, Cerulean Ace.
The Onishi Shipyard of Shin Kurushima Dockyard delivered the 199.95 meters long and 38 meters wide vessels with a capacity of 7,050 units on March 13, according to MOL.
MOL said the new LNG dual-fuel vessel will transport cars, including those produced by Japan’s Mazda Motor.
The Japanese firm has decided to operate 14 new LNG-fueled car carrier and Cerulean Ace is the first of 11 to be built in Japan under the “Blue” series, it said.
Besides Shin Kurushima Dockyard, MOL also has LNG-powered car carriers on order at Nihon Shipyard.
MOL has set a target to operate 90 LNG-powered and methanol-fueled vessels by 2030.
At present, MOL has decided to deploy 33 LNG-fueled ocean-going vessels, including the Cerulean Ace, it said.
MOL said the use of LNG fuel reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about 25-30 percent, sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by about 98 percent, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by about 85 percent compared to comparable vessels using conventional fuel oil.