Category: IMO

  • Japanese Consortium Unveils Design For Eco-Friendly VLCC Powered By Methanol

    Japanese Consortium Unveils Design For Eco-Friendly VLCC Powered By Methanol

    Japan’s New Eco-Friendly Ship Design Promises Cleaner Shipping

    Idemitsu Tanker, IINO Lines, NYK, and Nihon Shipyard have teamed up to create an eco-friendly oil carrier that aims to make ocean shipping cleaner. This large crude oil carrier, called a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier), is being designed to use methanol as a fuel instead of the usual heavy oil, making it Japan’s first Malacca Max-type VLCC with such a green approach.

    These companies started planning this new type of ship on January 26, 2024, and have developed a concept design for it. Thanks to a dual-fuel engine, this special ship can use both methanol and heavy oil. This type of engine is flexible and allows the ship to switch between two kinds of fuel.

    Cutting Down on CO2 Pollution

    The ship will also have a “shaft generator.” This device produces power while the ship is moving, making it even more energy-efficient. Another option for the ship is a wind propulsion system, which uses the power of wind to move the ship, reducing fuel use and pollution further. Together, these features will help the ship produce much less CO2—over 40% less than many other ships today. This amount even goes beyond the tough CO2-cutting goals set by the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for 2025, which requires ships to reduce CO2 by at least 30%.

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    Methanol, the main alternative fuel for this ship, is cleaner than conventional fuel oil. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has a plan to cut down on greenhouse gases (GHG), and methanol can help reach these goals. Using methanol instead of regular oil could cut CO2 by about 15%. But when using green methanol, which is made from plants or hydrogen from renewable energy, emissions can drop to net-zero, making the ship even more eco-friendly.

    Working Together for Cleaner Oceans by 2050

    These four companies, which are leaders in Japan’s energy shipping, will continue to refine this design. Their goal is to help reach global shipping’s aim of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. This target is part of an international effort to reduce pollution in shipping, which is one of the main ways goods are moved across the world.

    The next step will be to plan the building of these eco-friendly VLCCs. Japan aims to start using these green ships soon, helping to reduce pollution while still supplying oil to its refineries.

  • MOL President Talks About Shipping Challenges at Global Maritime Forum 2024

    MOL President Talks About Shipping Challenges at Global Maritime Forum 2024

    MOL CEO Hashimoto Highlights Shipping Industry Challenges at Global Forum

    Tokyo, October 17, 2024 Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) President & CEO Takeshi Hashimoto recently took center stage at Tokyo’s 2024 Global Maritime Forum (GMF) Summit. This major event, held from October 15 to 17, gathered around 200 leaders from the shipping industry to discuss critical issues like decarbonization and sustainability in maritime operations. MOL was the sole sponsor of the summit, showcasing the company’s commitment to improving the future of shipping.

    IMO Head Meets MOL Executives

    Before the summit started, Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), visited MOL’s headquarters. MOL’s leadership, including Chairman Junichiro Ikeda, shared updates on the company’s initiatives to ensure safe operations and cut carbon emissions.

    Key Discussions at the Summit

    The event opened with a panel discussion featuring MOL CEO Takeshi Hashimoto, IMO Secretary-General Dominguez, and Jan Dieleman, the President of Cargill Ocean Transportation and Chairman of GMF. They spoke about the latest challenges in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) matters, as well as the current state of the maritime industry.

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    Several MOL executives were also active during the summit:

    • Toshiaki Tanaka, MOL Vice President and member of the GMF Advisory Board.
    • Tatsuro Watanabe, MOL’s Chief Sustainability Officer, who joined talks on key maritime topics.

    The discussions covered various issues, including:

    • Decarbonization of shipping operations.
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for seafarers and land-based employees.
    • Biodiversity and protecting ocean health.
    • AI and digitalization in maritime practices.
    • Ship recycling and supporting a circular economy.

    Press Briefing on Industry Progress

    A press briefing was held to share the event’s insights with the media. MOL’s Chief Sustainability Officer Watanabe spoke alongside IMO’s Secretary-General and other experts. They discussed future strategies for making the shipping industry greener and more sustainable.

    Moving Forward

    MOL is committed to working with the GMF and other global partners to find solutions to key issues, such as:

    • Reducing carbon emissions across the shipping industry.
    • Improving the lives of seafarers and other maritime workers.
    • Ensuring long-term sustainability in maritime operations.

    With its leadership at the GMF summit, MOL continues to show dedication to building a cleaner and more inclusive future for the maritime industry.