On April 15th, Japanese merchant ship Mitsui announced that it had signed a construction contract for a module transport ship with Taizhou Sanfu Shipbuilding. This will be Japan's first coastal module transport ship used for transporting basic components of offshore wind turbines.
This new ship has a total length of about 150 meters, a width of about 30 meters, a designed draft of 5.2 meters, and a carrying capacity of 13000 tons. It will use an electric propulsion system equipped with batteries. The plan will be delivered in the spring of 2026 and will be managed by MOL Dry Bulk, a subsidiary of Mitsui Group, operated by Mitsui Inland Navigation Company.
On the same day, MOL Drybulk has signed a freight contract with JFE Engineering in Japan, which will use a new ship to transport offshore wind turbine foundation components from JFE's manufacturing base in Ogioka City, Okayama Prefecture to the offshore wind power construction site in Japan. JFE has been producing single piles for wind turbine foundations since April this year.
According to Mitsui, the merchant ship will adopt the latest advanced design in the European market, equipped with a Dynamic Positioning System (DPS), which has higher weather resistance compared to non self-propelled barges. It can directly transport goods to SEP ships (self elevating work platforms) at offshore wind power construction sites.
The modular transport ship has a flat deck and can be directly loaded with wind turbine components such as single piles, towers, blades, engine rooms, and floating foundations from the stern and hull using multi axle trucks. With the development of Japan's offshore wind power industry, it is expected that the transportation demand for wind turbine components in Japan will increase in various situations.
At present, MOL Drybulk operates a 3700 ton modular transport vessel on a regular charter basis, transporting onshore and offshore wind turbine components, factory cargo, maritime equipment, etc. in coastal waters of Asia. In the future, the merchant ship Mitsui will continue to leverage its expertise in the operation of modular transport vessels to meet the maritime transportation needs of customers.
Excluding the latest orders from merchant ship Mitsui, Clarkson's data shows that Sanfu Shipbuilding currently holds a total of 44 orders of 751100 deadweight tons, including 35 multi-purpose ships, 8 container ships, and 1 deck transport ship, with a delivery date scheduled for 2027.
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