On Sunday it will become operational in Japan the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Sunflower Co. (MOL Sunflower), the new ferries company that was born from the merger of the companies MOL Ferry Co. and Ferry Sunflower of Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines ( of the February 13 2023). Today the president of the Sunflower MOL, Hirotoshi Ushioku, presented the activity of the new company that has more than 500 employees and will employ ten ro-pax ships and five ro-ro ships on six maritime routes. During the presentation Ushioku pointed out that to be in particular growth in Japan is the national marine transport sector of rotatable that is also the effect of the shortage of truck drivers that characterizes self-transport.

Among the initiatives for the development of the activity of the Sunflower MOL, Ushioku recalled the fleet decarbonisation programme that has already begun with commissioning in the past months of January and April of the ferries Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki powered by liquefied natural gas to which it will follow, in 2025, the commissioning of two other LNG-powered vessels. He said the company was also pursuing its own research and development activities that also take into account the use of new fuels as an option to replace LNG use in the future.