Japanese shipping companies Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and NYK Line have each ordered two LNG carriers at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipbuilding Co, Ltd (MHI) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI).
The LNG carriers are to service long-term shipping contracts with Japanese utility company Chubu Electric Power.
The Moss-type ships, with capacity of 177,000-180,000 m³, are to transport LNG from the Freeport LNG project in Texas.
Also on 8 September, MHI finalised the hiving off of its shipbuilding and hull block manufacturing businesses.
The Japanese group, which also makes machinery and aircraft, will rename the shipbuilding business Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. This entity, with JPY1 billion (USD8.3 million) capital, will be based at Nagasaki under newly appointed CEO Hiroshi Yokota.
It is hoped that the spin-off will strengthen MHI’s competitiveness in ship construction by streamlining production of certain ship types. The creation of a specific entity would also simplify administration processes and encourage dynamism.
The hull manufacturing unit will be renamed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hull Production Co, Ltd. This entity, with JPY300 million capital, will also be based at Nagasaki under CEO Koji Murakami.
The LNG ships will be delivered in 2018.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
