MITSUI O.S.K. Lines is planning a major expansion of its fleet of advanced double-hull mid-size petroleum product tankers. The move is in line with the strategy set out in the ‘MOL next’, the company’s mid-term management plan. Under ‘MOL next’, the company plans to take an aggressive approach to expanding its resource and energy transport operations. Currently, MOL jointly operates 10 MR-type clean product tankers with its affiliated company Asahi Tanker Co. MOL and Asahi Tanker had already planned to expand this fleet by the end of 2004, but decided to move even more rapidly than their initial plan, and will have a total of 25 of these ships by the end of 2005. MOL expects steady increases in the trade of petroleum products such as gasoline, naphtha, gas oil, kerosene and jet fuel.
