Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is joining the growing throng of owners queing up for ammonia technology to fuel the next generation of ships.
Japan’s largest shipowner has signed a memorandum of understanding with engine maker MAN and compatriot Mitsui E&S Machinery to buy an ammonia-fuelled main engine currently under development. MAN is aiming to commercialise ammonia engines by as early as 2024 with a raft of owners keen to install them.
In May this year, MOL reentered the ammonia trades after a five-year hiatus. The company bought the 11-year-old 35,000 cu m Green Pioneer (pictured), a ship capable of transporting both LPG and ammonia. In August, MOL ordered what will become the largest ammonia carrier in the world when it delivers from Namura Shipbuilding in 2025.
