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MOL's LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin Earns 'Ship of the Year 2019' Award as Innovative Work Ship/Special Purpose Ship
September 28, 2020
TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced that the LNG-fueled tugboat Ishin (Note), which is owned by MOL and operated by MOL Group company Nihon Tug-Boat Co., Ltd. (President: Tetsuro Nishio; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Hyogo Prefecture), has won a "Ship of the Year 2019' award in the Work Ship/Special Purpose Ship category. This marks the fourth consecutive year that one of the awards has been presented to an MOL vessel.
The Ship of the Year Award, now in its 30th year, is presented by The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE) to recognize the highest levels of technology, design, and social responsibility among vessels built in Japan. The first awards were presented 1990.
The Ishin earned high marks not only for its environmental performance, but also for its combination of power (pushing/towing), which is essential for a tugboat, as well as its high-speed navigation and swift maneuverability, which make it ideal for escorting large vessels. The tugboat also features a unique detachable LNG fuel tank.
MOL works on a group-wide scale to leverage its accumulated experiences and know-how in design of control system for LNG fuel provision and in planning process for LNG fuel supplying operations, obtained from shipbuilding and navigations. These knowledge and findings will be utilized for the series of LNG-fueled ferries slated to launch from the end of 2022 through the first half of 2023. It also continually introduces technologies that help to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.
(Note) Please refer to the past press releases related to the Ishin as follows:
- September 28, 2018 press release:
LNG-fueled Tugboat Named Ishin -arns Highest 4-star for Coastal Ship Energy Conservation Rating- - January 31, 2019 press release:
LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin Marks 1st Bunkering of LNG Fuel in Kansai Region - February 28, 2019 press release:
MOL Holds Delivery Ceremony for LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin - Marking Solid Progress toward Start of New Business - - September 18, 2019 press release:
LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin Undergoes 1st LNG Bunkering Trial in Port of Kobe - Contributing to Development of LNG Bunkering Ports and Wider Use of LNG as Marine Fuel - - November 8, 2019 press release:
1st LNG Bunkering in Nagoya Port - Developing an LNG Fuel Supply Terminal and Promoting the Use of Natural Gas - - July 15 2020 press release:
LNG-fueled Ishin, Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki Earn Top Energy Conservation Rating for Japanese Coastal Ships