Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has completed Japan’s first ship-to-ship methanol bunkering operation at anchorage, transferring fuel from a coastal transport vessel to an ocean-going carrier at Yokohama Port on 6 February.

The operation involved a five-way partnership between MOL, the City of Yokohama, Kokuka Sangyo, Idemitsu Kosan, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC). Methanol fuel was transferred from the 498-gross-tonne Eika Maru to the 29,969-gross-tonne Kohzan Maru VII at the Keihin Port Yokohama District NR Anchorage.

Both vessels are chartered by MGC, with the Eika Maru operated by Kokuka Sangyo and the Kohzan Maru VII operated by MOL. The operation used domestically produced biomethanol from MGC’s Niigata Plant, which is scheduled to be used as fuel for the future operation of the Kohzan Maru VII.

The bunkering was made possible following standards established by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) through its 'Study Group on the Formation of Methanol Bunkering Hubs' from 2024 to 2025. The operation drew on findings from a methanol bunkering simulation conducted in Yokohama Port in September 2024 and insights from multiple stakeholders regarding the domestic transport of chemicals, including methanol.

MOL commenced operations of the world’s first methanol dual-fuel vessel in 2016 and has since deployed eight such carriers. The company aims to deploy 90 LNG/methanol-fuelled vessels by 2030 as part of its target to achieve net-zero GHG emissions across the MOL Group by 2050, as outlined in its 'MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2'.

The City of Yokohama is developing a 'Carbon Neutral Port' that aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, advancing the initiative through enhanced port functions with decarbonisation in mind, including promoting the shift to next-generation energy sources for vessels and coastal industries.

MGC is promoting its Carbopath platform for carbon recycling that uses captured CO₂, waste plastics, and biomass to manufacture methanol using proprietary production technology with in-house catalysts.

Kokuka Sangyo has been engaged in the domestic and international transportation of methanol via dedicated carriers since the 1960s, operating specialised tankers and general chemical tanker vessels.