Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received orders from Toyofuji Shipping and Fukuju Shipping for Japan’s first methanol-fuelled ro-ro cargo ships.
The two ships will be built at the Enoura Plant of MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard and Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with scheduled completion and delivery by the end of fiscal 2027. The ships will be about 169.9m overall length and 30.2m breadth, 15,750gt and loading capacity for around 2,300 passenger vehicles.
A windscreen at the bow and a vertical stem will be used to reduce propulsion resistance, while fuel efficiency is improved by employing MHI’s proprietary energy-saving system technology combing high-efficiency propellers and high-performance rudders with reduced resistance. The main engine is a dual-fuel unit that can use both methanol and HFO, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 10% compared to ships with the same hull and powered solely by HFO, contributing to a reduced environmental impact. In the future, the use of green methanol may lead to further reduction in CO2 emissions, including throughout the lifecycle of the fuel. Methanol-fuelled ro-ro ships have already entered into service as ocean-going vessels around the world, but these are the first to be constructed for coastal service in Japan.
In addition, the significant increase in vehicle loading capacity and transport capacity per voyage compared to conventional vessels will provide greater leeway in the ship allocation schedule, securing more holiday and rest time for the crew, thereby contributing to working style reforms.
Image: Contract signing, from left: Eiji Takeichi, President, Toyofuji Shipping; Yasushi Okumura, President, Fukuju Shipping; and Shin Ueda, President and CEO, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding (source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)
