Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), has taken orders from Toyofuji Shipping and Fukuju Shipping for two dual-fuel ro-ro cargo ships.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding receives orders for Japan's first methanol-fuelled ro-ro cargo ships

Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)

Contract Signing Ceremony (From left: Mr. Eiji Takeichi, President, Toyofuji ShippingMr. Yasushi Okumura, President, Fukuju ShippingMr. Shin Ueda, President & CEO, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding)

The methanol-fuelled ro-ro cargo ships will be constructed at MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard in Yamaguchi Prefecture and are scheduled for delivery by the end of the 2027. 

Each ship will be able to carry around 2,300 passenger vehicles. The 16,750 gross tonne vessels will measure 169.9 m in length and have a 30.2 m breadth. The main engine is a high-performance dual-fuel unit that can use both methanol and heavy fuel oil (HFO). A windscreen at the bow and a vertical stem are used to reduce propulsion resistance, while fuel efficiency is improved by employing MHI’s energy-saving system technology combing high-efficiency propellers and high-performance rudders with reduced resistance. 

Methanol-fuelled ro-ro ships have already been deployed across the world, but this is the first construction of such vessels to be operated along Japan’s coastline.

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