MOL takes delivery of the Beluga Ace, 1st next-generation FLEXIE series car carrier

Cutting-edge, newly designed car carrier equipped with 6 liftable decks

TOKYO - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL: President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced the delivery of the first car carrier of the next-generation “FLEXIE” series, the Beluga Ace, which was built at the Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (President: Ryutaro Ikebe; Headquarters: Oita, Japan).

The new vessel marks a major advance in functionality, with six liftable decks, compared with two on conventional car carriers. This allows the Beluga Ace to more effectively meet demand for more diversified vehicle and high and heavy cargo transport.

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The hull design is a complete departure from current car carriers, boldly presenting "MOL" and the letter "A", representing a global brand of "MOL ACE (MOL Auto Carrier Express)", and a white line, which expresses the company's determination to connect its long history of customer service to the future in a seamless manner.

The rounded bow shape will minimize wind resistance and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by about 2% compared to today's car carriers. The new shape is the result of joint research by MOL, MOL Techno-Trade, Ltd. (President: Hirokazu Hatta; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo), and Akishima Laboratories (Mitsui Zosen) Inc. (President: Taiji Maeda; Headquarters: Akishima-City, Tokyo). IT is one of the environmental impact-reducing technologies developed in the MOL Group’s “ISHIN NEXT -MOL SMART SHIP PROJECT-.”

MOL has expanded car carrier services all over the world with goal of maintaining its position as the frontrunner in vehicle transport, having launched the first car carrier in Japan in 1965. The group consistently provides its customers with high-quality services by setting the world’s highest standards of safe operation and environmental conservation. MOL’s state-of-the-art fleet continually adopts new designs to meet demands for transport of not only completed cars, but also diversified cargoes such as construction machinery and railway vehicles under its MOL ACE global brand of car carrier transport service.