MOL welcomes into the fleet LNG-powered Cerulean Ace

Japanese shipping Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has taken delivery of the LNG-fueled car carrier Cerulean Ace from the Onishi Shipyard of Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co.

The vessel will transport cars, including those produced by Mazda Motor Corporation.

MOL wants to operate 14 new LNG-fueled car carriers and the Cerulean Ace is the first of 11 to be built in Japan under the “BLUE” series.

Cerulean Ace has the capacity to transport 7,000 vehicles. The ship features a beveled top of the bow that reduces wind resistance by 20%. It also has an AI system installed in the cargo hold that detects fires and notifies crew members of abnormalities based on images captured by cameras thus improving early fire detection capabilities. In addition, the car carrier is fitted with Starlink satellite communications service.

By switching to LNG, MOL estimates that it would cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 25-30%, and reduce sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by about 98%, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by about 85% compared to comparable vessels using conventional fuel oil.

Under its Group Environmental Vision 2.2. MOL has set a target of becoming a net zero company by 2050. The company plans to achieve its GHG emissions reduction target by introducing 90 LNG/methanol-fueled vessels by 2030, considering it a feasible measure at present. Currently, the deployment includes 33 LNG-fueled ocean-going vessels, including Cerulean Ace.