Japan – Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Receives Additional Orders for Three Methanol-Fueled RORO Cargo Ships

Business

Japan – Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Receives Additional Orders for Three Methanol-Fueled RORO Cargo Ships

Leslie Atkins

March 22, 2025

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received additional orders for three methanol-fueled roll-on/roll-off (RORO) cargo ships(1) from Toyofuji Shipping Co., Ltd. (Aichi Prefecture), Miyazaki Sangyo Kaiun Co., Ltd. (Oita Prefecture), and Nichitoku Kisen Co., Ltd. (Hiroshima Prefecture). The three ships will be built at the Enoura Plant of MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with scheduled completion and delivery in order from fiscal 2028.

The ships will be approximately 168.0 meters in overall length and 30.2 meters in breadth, with 15,750 gross tonnage, and loading capacity for around 2,300 passenger vehicles.

A windscreen at the bow and a vertical stem are used to reduce propulsion resistance, while fuel efficiency is improved by employing MHI’s proprietary energy-saving system technology combining high-efficiency propellers and high-performance rudders with reduced resistance. The main engine is a high-performance dual-fuel engine that can use both methanol and A heavy fuel oil, expected to reduce CO2 emissions per transport unit by more than 20% compared to ships currently operated by heavy fuel oil and owned by Toyofuji Shipping, contributing to a reduced environmental impact. In the future, the use of green methanol(2) may lead to further reduction in CO2 emissions, including throughout the lifecycle of the fuel. Methanol-fueled RORO ships have already been entered service as ocean-going vessels around the world. This is MHI’s second order for construction of coastal RORO vessels for service in Japan, following an order for two methanol-fueled RORO vessels placed with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding in June 2024.

In addition, the significant increase in vehicle loading capacity and transport capacity per voyage compared to conventional vessels will provide greater leeway in the ship allocation schedule, securing more holiday and rest time for the crew, thereby contributing to working style reforms.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, to address the growing needs from the modal shift in marine transport against the backdrop of CO2 reductions in land transportation, labor shortages, and working style reforms, will continue to work with its business partners to provide solutions for a range of societal issues by building ferries and RORO vessels with excellent fuel efficiency and environmental performance that contribute to stable navigation for customers.

(1) Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships are cargo ships equipped with a vehicle ramp like a ferry, allowing cargo loaded on cargo beds such as trucks and trailers to be loaded and unloaded on their own, and transported.
(2) Green methanol is a type of carbon-neutral fuel. It is a synthetic fuel made from sustainable biomass or captured CO2 and hydrogen produced from renewable energy.

About MHI Group

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.