MOL's hydrogen-powered passenger ship starts service

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) on April 10 announced the start of operations of the hybrid passenger ship, Hanaria, which uses hydrogen and biodiesel as fuels. 

Constructed at the Hongawara Shipyard for MOL group company MOTENA-Sea, Hanaria stands as Japan's inaugural passenger ship equipped to harness propulsion energy from hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, and biodiesel fuel.

This design achieves a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, ranging from 53% to 100% compared to conventional fossil-fueled vessels of similar caliber, according to MOL. 

The naming ceremony for Hanaria took place in September of the previous year. Spanning a length of 60 meters and boasting a capacity to accommodate 120 passengers, the vessel is designated for both sightseeing and transportation purposes within Fukuoka Prefecture.

MOL said it has positioned environmental strategy as a key element of its Blue Action 2035 management plan, and set the target of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050 through some strategies such as adopting clean fuels to vessels.

Last year, MOL and six other companies completed a trial using liquefied bio-methane (LBM) or bio-LNG derived from cattle manure as a marine fuel on the domestic LNG-fuelled vessel Ise Mirai.