Japanese giant christens one LNG carrier and takes order for another

Japan’s shipping major Mitsui O.S.K Lines (MOL) has named a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier to be chartered by TotalEnergies Gas & Power Limited (TGPL), a subsidiary of French energy firm TotalEnergies. Additionally, the firm signed a long-term charter contract for an LNG newbuild with compatriot JERA, a joint venture of TEPCO Fuel & Power Incorporated and Chubu Electric Power Company.

The naming ceremony for the LNG carrier MOL Azure was held at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard in South Korea on January 10, 2025. The vessel was ordered by MOL LNG Ship Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of MOL, and is slated to sail with a unit of TotalEnergies under a time charter contract announced in 2022.

Since Azure means ‘blue’ in French, the Japanese player says the name reflects the MOL Group’s corporate mission, “From the blue oceans, we sustain people’s lives and ensure a prosperous future.” The ship was set to depart for its first loading port in the United States upon delivery on January 14. It will be the second LNG carrier to be chartered by TGPL.

The ceremony was attended by Carolina Pretzel, Senior Vice President of TotalEnergies’ People and Services for the Gas, Renewables, and Power Branch. 

“I’m thrilled to have been part of the Naming Ceremony as Lady Sponsor for the MOL AZURE LNG carrier, which will join TotalEnergies’ fleet providing more flexibility to our LNG portfolio and trading activities,” said Pretzel.

The vessel is equipped with the latest MAN Energy Solutions engines, which MOL says offer improved fuel efficiency and are more environmentally friendly than those installed on current LNG carriers. It is 294.9 meters long, with a breadth of 46.4 meters, and features a 174,000-cubic-meter, membrane-type tank.

Five days later, the Japanese firm disclosed the signing of a long-term charter contract for a newbuilding LNG carrier with a vessel operation management company funded by JERA. The ship will be built at Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Geoje shipyard.

Scheduled for delivery in 2026, the vessel will transport LNG for JERA, with MOL providing ship management services. This is said to be the eighth contract for an LNG carrier signed between the Japanese pair.

MOL recently named the LNG carrier Limail at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding shipyard in China. The vessel forms part of QatarEnergy’s ‘historic’ LNG fleet expansion program.