President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that on March 13, the LNG-fueled car carrier CERULEAN ACE, was delivered at the Onishi Shipyard of Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co., Ltd. (President: Katsushi Mori; Head Office: Imabari-shi, Ehime Prefecture). The vessel will transport cars, including those produced by Mazda Motor Corporation (President and CEO: Katsuhiro Kago; Head Office: Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture).

MOL has decided to operate 14 new LNG-fueled car carriers(Note 2) and the CERULEAN ACE is the first of 11 to be built in Japan under the “BLUE” series. The use of LNG fuel reduces 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.

Since the first car carrier was delivered in Japan in 1965, MOL has been expanding its services with the aim of further developing its car carrier business in the global market. It will continue to offer high-quality service to  customers through environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient operations.
[CERULEAN ACE Specifications]
Ship type: 7,050RT type LNGDF car carrier (high-pressure main engine)
Shipyard: Shin Kurushima Dockyard, Onishi Shipyard
LOA: 199.95m
Breadth: 38.00m
Capacity: 7,050 units
(Note 1) Inspired by "BLUE," the name of the vessel included "CERULEAN" which means “blue sky” or “sky blue” in Spanish.
(Note 2) MOL Group has established the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2," and set the target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. To achieve this target, it plans to deliver 90 LNG/methanol-fueled vessels by 2030 as “a feasible initiative for reducing GHG emissions at present.” At present, it has decided to deploy 33 LNG-fueled ocean-going vessels, including the CERULEAN ACE.