Update (No.2): Safety Enhancements on Sister Vessels of the Containership MOL Comfort

Koichi Muto

TOKYO—Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) reports that itself, other concerned parties, and Lloyd’s Register (LR)^(*1), which MOL appointed as technical consultant, have conducted a thorough investigation into the causes of the mid-June 2013 hull fracture of the MOL-operated containership MOL Comfort on the Indian Ocean. Also, MOL has extended and will extend all possible cooperation to the Committee on Large Container Ship Safety, which was launched by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).

MOL began preventative measures ^(*2) to enhance the safety of six sister vessels immediately after the incident. Measures taken to reinforce the hulls of MOL Celebration, MOL Courage,  and MOL Creation were recently completed ^(*3), and these vessels return to Asia-North Europe service beginning August 10.

The work done on the three containerships aimed to strengthen the hull structures to approximately twice that required by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), Japan’s classification society, which conforms to the safety standards of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS)^(*4). ClassNK has confirmed that the work done on these three vessels was executed according to plan. Further, LR expressed its opinion that the structural reinforcement completed for the vessels is considered to be the best preventive measure against a similar failure at present.

MOL Charisma and MOL Competence among three remaining three sister vessels are already at the dockyards of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and their hull reinforcement will be completed by the end of September to beginning of October. The work for MOL Commitment which was newly delivered this June will be completed by February 2014.

(*1) Lloyd’s Register, located in London, is an expert body in vessel design certification and shipbuilding inspection. It has abundant experience in approving design drawings and inspecting – both during and after shipbuilding – more than 100 containerships (with owners from various countries/areas such as Denmark, Switzerland,  France,  China,  Taiwan,  Chile and Singapore) larger than 8, 000 TEUs. Please refer to the press release on July 4: MOL Appoints Lloyd’s Register as a Technical Consultant to Determine the Cause of the Incident Involving Containership MOL Comfort.

        http://www.mol.co.jp/en/pr/2013/13051.html

(*2) Please refer to the press release on June 27: Safety Enhancement on Sister Vessels of the Containership MOL Comfort.

        http://www.mol.co.jp/en/pr/2013/13044.html

(*3) Work schedule for the three sister vessels

(*4) International Association of Classification Societies (IACS): International gathering of class societies to formulate international unified standards (including hull strength)