Liner ScheduleMOL Drybulk Marks Completion of Japan’s 1st Coastal Deck Carrier for Transporting Offshore Wind Turbine Foundation Components～ Completion Ceremony Held in Nagasaki City～
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Jotaro Tamura; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), MOL Drybulk Ltd. (MOLDB; President & CEO: Toshiaki Fukui; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), and MOL Coastal Shipping, Ltd. (MOLCS; President: Manabu Hasumi; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo) held a completion ceremony on July 29 for the Wind Whale, a newbuilding coastal deck carrier (heavy-lift vessel).
The ceremony took place in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, the vessel’s port of registry—with local stakeholders and many other guests on hand. After the ceremony, guests toured the vessel to learn about its onboard facilities and the role of deck carriers in the shipping industry.
The name “Wind Whale” was chosen to symbolize the vessel’s robust transport capabilities that support Japan’s offshore wind industry, as well as its powerful presence as it sails across the open sea carrying large and heavy cargoes—reminiscent of a whale traversing the vast ocean.
The Wind Whale will be jointly owned by MOL and MOLDB, and operated by MOLCS with support from MOLDB. The vessel will be deployed for coastal transport of offshore wind turbine foundations manufactured at JFE Engineering Corporation (President & CEO: Kazuyoshi Fukuda; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)’s monopile manufacturing base in Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture, delivering them to offshore wind construction sites around Japan.
Featuring a flat deck, the vessel can directly load wind turbine components—including monopiles, towers, blades, nacelles, and floating foundations—from the stern or sides using multi-axle trucks. Equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DPS) and offering greater weather resistance than non-self-propelled barges, the Wind Whale enables direct cargo delivery to wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) at offshore wind power construction sites.
MOLDB currently operates a 3,700-ton class deck carrier on a time charter to transport onshore and offshore wind turbine components, plant cargo, and marine equipment in Asian waters. The company will continue to meet customers’ marine transport needs in both domestic and international markets.
[Deck carrier profile]
| Flag / Port of registry | Japan/Nagasaki |
| Shipyard | Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. |
| LOA | 149.90m |
| Breadth | 30.00m |
| Draught (Max.) | 5.85m |
| DWT | 12,709.4 tons |
| Features | ・Dynamic positioning system ・Flush deck (flat deck with no protrusions in the cargo loading area) ・Electric propulsion system with batteries onboard |
The MOL Group will continue contributing to the realization of a net-zero emissions society in line with the MOL Group Environmental Vision, leveraging its extensive experience and expertise in offshore wind power -related businesses.
For more detailed information on the MOL Group’s offshore wind powerbusiness, please visit the following websites:
・Offshore Wind Power Energy Business ｜MOL Service Site (mol-service.com/en)
・Offshore Wind Power Energy Business | MOL Business | Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (mol.co.jp/en)
[Related Press Releases]
Please refer to the following for past press releases related to this project.
April 17, 2024:“Japan’s 1st Coastal Module Carrier to Transport Offshore Wind Turbine Foundation Components~ MOL Drybulk Makes Marine Transport Deal with JFE Engineering~”
The MOL Group 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 “Environment”, “Safety“ and “Digital Transformation.”
For further information, please contact:
MOL Drybulk Ltd.
Business and ICT Support Team Mail: dbbis@molgroup.com