Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC) announced that a dual-fuel methanol carrier chartered from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) on a long-term basis was delivered at the HD Hyundai Mipo shipyard on May 30. A naming ceremony was held on May 23 at the shipyard, where MGC Chairman Masashi Fujii christened the vessel Kohzan Maru VII. 

The 47,960-ton (deadweight) vessel is powered by a Hyundai-Man B&W 6G50ME-C9.6-LGIM electronically controlled dual-fuel two-stroke engine. Notably, one of its two fuels is methanol, a next-generation fuel for truly sustainable operation. 

The Kohzan Maru VII is Japan’s first dual-fuel, ocean-going, methanol-transport vessel chartered by a domestic shipper on a long-term basis. MGC and MOL began operating Japan's first methanol-dedicated vessel, the Kohzan Maru, in 1983, to safely and efficiently transport methanol by sea. The Kohzan Maru VII will benefit from extensive expertise accumulated in the years since to transport environmentally sustainable methanol derived from renewable resources handled MGC. 

MOL and MGC have steadily pursued innovative, industry-leading maritime transportation solutions to meet evolving needs. Through their operation of the new dual-fuel methanol vessel, the two companies expect to advance their contributions to a more carbon-neutral world.