Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Japan’s largest shipping company, has decided to jointly own two CSOVs with Cyprus-based shipping firm Schoeller Holdings.

MOL has also decided to acquire a stake in the Hamburg-based company Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt, which will operate the vessels. The joint strategy also includes developing further independent projects using this platform. 

Columbia Shipmanagement, which, like the heavy-lift shipping company AAL, is part of Schoeller Holdings, will provide technical management. 

Through this project, MOL will participate in the European offshore wind support vessel business for the first time, following the entry into the SOV sector in Taiwan. The vessels will be marketed in the international offshore energy markets.

Offshore wind power is positioned as a key pillar of medium- to long-term energy policy across Europe, supported by strong policy measures. Large-scale offshore wind projects continue to expand in the region, and demand for CSOVs is expected to grow further.

Schoeller stated that it had ordered four CSOV vessels from China’s CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, with two to be co-owned by MOL. The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2027. The vessels will be 96.25 m long and 20 m wide and can carry 120 persons.