MOL to build LNG-fueled tugboat

Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) made a decision to build what company claims to be Japan’s first LNG-fueled tugboat. 

According to MOL’s statement, the vessel will be built at Kanagawa Dockyard, while Yanmar will supply LNG-fueled engines.

The tugboat will be operated by Nihon Tug-Boat, and Osaka Gas will supply LNG fuel for the vessel.

MOL adds that the vessel will be deployed in Osaka Bay from April 2019, and will be the first LNG-fueled tugboat to escort large-scale freighters in Osaka Bay and the Seto Inland Sea.

The company notes that the development of the tugboat will also spur the initial development of an LNG fuel supply system for vessels in Osaka Bay.

The vessel will be built under MOL’s Ishin Next smart ship project, and the tugboat’s development and operation will be fed back to various types of LNG-fueled ships including the Ishin-II ferry.