The first vessel was named the REX TILLERSON and the second
the UMM GHUWAILINA,
at a naming ceremony witnessed by H.E. Mr. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s
Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, Mr.
Takeshi Hashimoto, the President & CEO of MOL, and special guests,
dignitaries and a delegation from QatarEnergy, MOL, and Hudong-Zhonghua
shipyard. The REX
TILLERSON is named in honor of the former Chairman and CEO of
ExxonMobil, and who, during his tenure, made significant contributions to the
development of Qatar’s LNG industry.
The UMM
GHUWAILINA was named after a historic district in Doha, the
capital of the State of Qatar. Both vessels will be under long-term charter
contracts with QatarEnergy.
In the “BLUE ACTION 2035” management plan launched in March 2023, the
MOL Group is pursuing business portfolio reforms to ensure profitability even
during shipping recessions by increasing the weight of non-shipping businesses
and expanding stable revenue businesses, and the expansion of the LNG carrier
fleet, including this project, is part of that initiative.
MOL will leverage
its experience and expertise as one of the world’s largest shipping companies
to develop various social infrastructure businesses, technologies, and
services, centering on ocean transport, to meet the needs of a wide range of
customers throughout the group. It aims to become
a global social infrastructure company, a strong and resilient corporate group
that supports people’s daily lives from the blue oceans, ensures a prosperous
future, and delivers new value to all of its stakeholders.
(Note) For details, please refer to the April 14, 2022, press release:
“MOL and QatarEnergy Sign Long-term Charter Deal for Four Newbuilding LNG
Carriers.” In addition to these four vessels, MOL has also signed long-term
charter contracts for three additional vessels in November 2022. For details,
please refer to the November 10, 2022 press release: “MOL and QatarEnergy Sign
Long-term Charter Deal for Three Newbuilding LNG Carriers.”