Naming and Launching Ceremony Held for Sunflower Pirka, LNG-fueled Ferry on Oarai-Tomakomai Route
-LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin Supports Launching Operations-

September 04, 2024

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that on September 4, the naming and launching ceremony was held for the LNG-fueled ferry Sunflower Pirka, under construction at Naikai Zosen Corporation (President: Hiroshi Terao; Headquarters: Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima Prefecture) by MOL and MOL Group company MOL Sunflower Ltd. (President & CEO: Hirotoshi Ushioku; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo). The LNG-fueled tugboat Ishin, operated by MOL Group company Nihon Tug-Boat Co., Ltd. (President: Keizo Tamura; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Kobe) assisted with towing operations during the launch of the ferry. MOL will proactively adopt LNG, a low-carbon fuel that can be put to practical use immediately, and lead the world toward the realization of a low-carbon/decarbonized society.

The ferry was given the name "Sunflower Pirka" by Sueji Shinohara, chairman of the Hokuren Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, with his wife, handling the ceremonial rope-cutting honors. The Sunflower Pirka is slated for delivery from Naikai Zosen in April 2025, and will then enter service on the Oarai-Tomakomai route operated by MOL Sunflower.

With the newbuilding ferry, the Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki already in service on the Osaka-Beppu route since 2023, and the sister ship Sunflower Kamuy, which is scheduled to enter service in early 2025 as the first ship on the Oarai-Tomakomai route, the MOL Group will operate a fleet of 4 LNG-fueled ferries on East-West routes in Japan. Boasting Japan's largest service route network and the most LNG-fueled ferries in operation, the group offers stable services in both logistics and passenger services. MOL Sunflower as a whole operates 10 ferries and 5 RORO vessels on 6 routes giving the company the Japan's largest ferry fleet and most extensive route network, offering reliable service for both logistics and passengers.

<About the Sunflower Pirka>

Origin of the name
Showing reverence for the Ainu people, the great ancestors of the northern part of the Japanese archipelago, especially Hokkaido, the name of the vessel for a new era, the new LNG-fueled ferry, is an expression of its commitment to tradition and the future. It was also a conscious decision to evoke the image of Hokkaido, as a calling port. The word "Pirka" means "beautiful," "nice," and "rich" in the Ainu language, and the new ferry was named in the hope that it will connect communities and people for a long time and continue to illuminate a bright and beautiful future. While the Sunflower Kamuy and Sunflower Pirka will have the same hull design and concept, each will have a different interior design with different features to heighten the anticipation of the journey.

Performance of the ferry
The ferry will be able to reduce CO₂ emissions by about 35% compared to vessels currently serving on the Hokkaido route, thereby contributing to the reduction of CO₂ emissions in society as a whole, by adopting the Ishin hull form, which can use oblique headwinds as propulsion, and various other state-of-the-art technologies, such as energy-saving devices developed by Naikai Zosen, all of which will be adopted in addition to the installation of high-performance engines that use LNG fuel.
The ferry will also support Japan's Modal Shift and solve the "2024 logistics problem" by providing more space for trucks than current vessels and more comfortable space for truck drivers by making all cabins private rooms.

<About the LNG-fueled tugboat 'Ishin'>

Owned by MOL and operated by Nihon Tug-Boat, this LNG-fueled tugboat is a pioneer in LNG-fueled vessels and was delivered in February 2019. MOL has built a number of LNG-fueled vessels by leveraging the knowledge and expertise gained through the development and operation of the Ishin, and this knowledge is greatly utilized on the newly launched LNG-fueled ferry Sunflower Pirka. The towing of the ferry by the Ishin for the launching ceremony was a symbolic operation that passed the baton of knowledge accumulated thus far to the next generation.

The MOL Group aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, and will continue to pursue its "Adoption of Clean Alternative Fuels" strategy to achieve decarbonization and low carbon emissions in line with the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2." The group will lead the way in environmental responsiveness in the coastal ferry business, and continue to research and examine the use of new fuels as alternatives to LNG in the future, to actively lead the industry.

* Press releases/announcements related to Oarai-Tomakomai route Sunflower Kamuy and Sunflower Pirka

February 17, 2022: MOL and MOL Ferry to Build 2 Cutting-edge LNG-powered Ferries - Introducing Super Eco Ferries Adopting Wind Power: Responding to Accelerating Modal Shift - | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/en)
January 22, 2024: MOL Decides New Hull Designs for 2 New LNG-Fueled Ferry Ferries on Oarai-Tomakomai Route -Imaging the Dawn Sea and the Light Illuminating New Era | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/)
April 11, 2024: Naming and Launching Ceremony for the Sunflower Kamuy Held 1st LNG-fueled Ferry on Oarai-Tomakomai Route - MOL Group's 3rd LNG-fueled Ferry to Enter Service in Early 2025, Bringing Fleet to 4 | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/en)

* Press releases related to Osaka-Beppu route; Sunflower Kurenai, Sunflower Murasaki

January 16, 2023: Japan's 1st LNG-fueled ferry, Sunflower Kurenai, Enters Service - Reducing Environmental Impact, Realizing Modal Shift and Offering 'Casual Cruise' - | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/en)
April 17, 2023: MOL Group's 2nd LNG-fueled Ferry, Sunflower Murasaki, Enters Service - New Company Plans to Operate 4 Vessels by 2025 as MOL Group Steadily Expands LNG-fueled Fleet - | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/en)

* Press releases related to the Ishin

September 8, 2022: LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin Undergoes LNG Bunkering Trial in Tomakomai Port - Contributing to Development of LNG Bunkering Ports and Wider Use of LNG Fuel - | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/en)
July 12, 2023: LNG-fueled Tugboat Ishin Marks 100th LNG Bunkering | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/en)

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MOL Group 5 Sustainability Issues
MOL Group identifies "Sustainability Issues" (Materiality) as our key issues for sustainable growth with society through realization of the Group Vision.
We anticipate this initiative to contribute especially to the realization of "Safety & Value -Provide added value through safe transportation and our social infrastructure business-", "Environment -Conservation for Marine and global environment-", and "Innovation -Innovation for development in marine technology-".