Japanese shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has signed a contract for the construction of a 13,000 dwt wind turbine module carrier with Taizhou Sanfu Shipbuilding (Sanfu Shipbuilding), designed to serve Japan’s offshore wind industry, with delivery expected in spring 2026. The value of the order has not yet been announced.
It is understood that MOL Drybulk, a subsidiary of MOL, ordered the module carrier from Sanfu Shipbuilding under a transportation contract with JFE Engineering. After completion, the module carrier will be used to transport offshore wind turbine foundations to construction sites in Japan.
MOL said it expects that demand for wind turbine components in Japan will increase in a variety of scenarios. The company has been gradually expanding its offshore wind business in Asia and has been investing in a number of areas, including crew transfer vessels and construction service operation vessels.
The above newbuilding will be Japan’s first coastal wind power module carrier, suitable for carrying monopiles, towers, blades, nacelles and floating foundations.
This is the first new shipbuilding order that Sanfu Shipbuilding has made public this year, according to the company. The shipyard’s last order is in October 2023, when the German shipping companies Krey Schiffahrt and Auerbach Schifffahrt ordered two multi-purpose vessels (MPPs) from Sanfu Shipbuilding respectively, the new vessels are scheduled to be delivered between 2025 and 2026, with the cost of a single vessel at about USD 30 million, and the total value of the order is about USD 100 million.
Krey Schiffahrt’s order also includes two optional vessels. The series of newbuilding projects has been confirmed on the official websites of both shipping companies.
