MOL’s LNG-powered car carrier obtains ‘world’s first’ notation for safe EV transportation

LNG-fueled car carrier Cerulean Ace operated by Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has received Additional Fire-Fighting Measures for Vehicle Carrier (AFVC) certification from classification society ClassNK for its voluntary measures to prevent onboard fires during the transport of electric vehicles (EVs).

According to MOL and ClassNK, this is the first case in the world in which an ocean shipping company’s voluntary measures against electric vehicle fires have earned certification from a ship classification society.

The LNG-fueled Cerulean Ace was certified as meeting three requirements listed in ClassNK’s Guidelines for the Safe Transportation of Electric Vehicles which were formulated in August 2023: Fire Detection (FD), Fire Fighting (FF), and Enhanced Fixed Fire-Extinguishing System (EFF).

One of the most advanced initiatives among the three provisions certified this time is the installation of cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) systems for smoke recognition in the cargo holds of new vessels, including the Cerulean Ace, for early detection of fires, MOL said.

As explained, when the AI system detects an abnormality in the images captured by the camera, it sends an alarm to the crewmember onboard and to the onshore ship management company. The system was highly evaluated for its usefulness in the early detection of vehicle fires, resulting in the certification.

Cerulean Ace was delivered to MOL by Japanese shipbuilder Shin Kurushima Dockyard in March 2024.

The ship is the first of eleven new LNG-fuelled car carriers to be built in Japan for MOL and it will transport cars produced by Japan’s car manufacturer Mazda Motor Corporation.

The car carrier is almost 200 meters long, with a breadth of 38 meters and a capacity of 7,050 units. It is equipped with an AI system installed in the cargo hold and Starlink satellite communications service for high-speed, low-latency connectivity.

By using LNG as a fuel to power the car carrier, MOL expects to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about 25-30%, sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by about 98%, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by about 85% compared to comparable vessels using conventional fuel oil.