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BRASIL MARU, one of the world's largest iron ore carriers
Industries around the world depend on a host of resources-iron ore, coal, grain, woodchips, fertilizers, salt, and more. The MOL Group fleet transports these vital commodities not only to Japan, but also to nations all over the world as economic growth and the shifting international division of labor spur the development of new manufacturing centers.
MOL's dry bulker fleet, the largest in the world, offers flexible, reliable service with a full lineup of specialized carriers designed to meet the specific characteristics of different cargoes and conditions at loading and discharging ports. We also have a wide range of versatile bulkers from small to large size, flexibly meeting various trades around the world and providing high-quality transport services.
Looking to the future, MOL is taking a proactive stance to develop LNG-fueled dry bulkers, in response to rising environmental concerns and stricter international standards on exhaust emissions from merchant ships.
Dry Bulkers Designed for Specific Needs
Woodchip carrier WATER LILLY loading cargo
There are various sizes and types of dry bulkers according to the volume of cargo to be transported and facilities at ports of call.
Capesize bulkers, the largest dry bulkers in service, transport iron core, coal, and grain. They are so called because they travel between the Atlantic and Paci fic oceans via the Cape of Good Hope instead of passing through the Panama Canal (before its expansion). Among the Capesize vessels are very large ore carriers (VLOCs) of more over than 400,000 deadweight tons. These massive ships are designed to efficiently load and d ischarge huge quantities of iron ore, which has a high specific gravity.
Panamax bulkers are the largest ships capable of transiting the pre-expansion Panama Canal. They measure up to 900ft (about 274m) long and 106ft (about 32m) wide. They are well suited to transport grain shipped from ports on the Gulf of Mexico to Asia, as do Handymax bulkers.
Handymax and Handysize bulkers are equipped with loading/unloading equipment, allowing them to load and discharge cargo at ports that do not have their own facilities. The "Handy" in their names refers to the convenience of being able to load and unload at virtually any port. These bulkers transport a variety of dry bulk cargoes such as grain, metals, and steel products, in smaller lots than Capesize bulker and Panamax bulker. The MOL Group also operates other specialized bulkers such as woodchip carriers, cement carriers, and heavyweight product carriers.
Unloading cargo from a Capesize bulker
Loading coal
Loading steel products
Loading woodchips
Handysize bulker C.S. STAR
Woodchip carrier CROSSANDRA
Dry Bulker Sizes
The size used for each service is determined by the transport lot requested by the customer, which depends on various factors such as the volume of cargo to be transported, restrictions at the ports of call, and so on, and the optimal size is selected to meet the lot.
The chart at right shows standard combinations of cargo and hull design.
[ Size Category and Main Transport Cargoes ]
*dwt: Deadweight tonnage
*Other combinations of size and cargo are possible on a voyage-by-voyage basis.
