MOL orders a deck carrier to serve offshore wind sector
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines’ unit, MOL Drybulk, has placed an order at the Chinese Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering yard for the construction of a coastal deck carrier. The vessel will serve a contract MOL Drybulk signed with JFE Engineering Corporation for marine transport.
The vessel is a self-propelled special heavy cargo carrier, with flat and wide decks, suitable for transporting large cargoes such as cranes, construction heavy equipment, oil field platforms, plant modules, wind power generation components, etc. As MOL claims, this will be the first coastal module carrier in Japan to transport components for offshore wind turbine foundation components.
The deck carrier is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2026 and will then engage in the coastal transport of offshore wind turbine foundations from JFE Engineering’s manufacturing base in Kasaoka-shi, Okayama Prefecture to offshore wind turbine construction sites in Japan.
In April, JFE Engineering began production of monopiles used to build the foundation for offshore wind power generation. MOL Coastal Shipping will operate the vessel under the management of MOL Drybulk.
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The deck carrier will feature the latest design already proven effective in the European market. It will be equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DPS) and offer higher weather resistance than non-self-propelled barges, providing direct delivery of cargo to self-elevating platform (SEP) vessels at offshore wind power construction sites.
The new vessel has a flat deck so that it can directly load wind turbine components, such as monopiles, towers, blades, nacelles, and floating foundations, from the stern and sides of the vessel using multi-axle trucks and so on.
As Japan continues to develop its offshore wind power generation, the demand for wind turbine components to be transported domestically is expected to increase in various scenarios. MOL Drybulk is currently operating a 3,700-ton class module carrier on a time charter basis to transport onshore and offshore wind turbine components, plant cargo, marine equipment, and other related items in the waters off the coast of Asia.
