On October 28, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Kumejima Town in Okinawa Prefecture regarding renewable energy projects and decarbonization projects. With the aim of promoting MOL's projects, such as ocean thermal energy conversion, the two parties will leverage their respective technologies and expertise, along with Kumejima Town's abundant resources, to address regional challenges and promote industrial development.
<Scenes from the signing ceremony>
Under the agreement, specifically regarding "Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and the utilization of deep-sea water," the development and design of water intake systems aimed at realizing a 1MW-class OTEC will be promoted.
"Direct Ocean Capture (DOC)" will focus on demonstration tests of DOC technology for capturing CO2 from the ocean, as well as studies toward its social implementation.
Kumejima Town has established the "Kumejima Model," a regional circular economy that utilizes deep-sea water as a local resource in various sectors such as OTEC (Oceanic Energy Conservation) and fisheries. The town aims to achieve 100% self-sufficiency in renewable energy by 2040, which is the energy consumed on the island.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines will further strengthen its collaboration with Kumejima Town to commercialize OTEC, the world's first such project, aiming to begin operations within fiscal year 2031. Furthermore, as part of expanding the "Kumejima Model" to surrounding industries, Mitsui will begin considering small-scale demonstration tests of DOC, a CO2 capture project aimed at decarbonization.
Furthermore, by leveraging the experience and knowledge that Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has cultivated over many years in the foreign personnel business through training foreign seafarers, the company aims to alleviate the labor shortage caused by the declining population on the island, promote the tourism industry in cooperation with group companies, and contribute to the expansion of the Kumejima model and the revitalization of the region.
In its "Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group Environmental Vision 2.2," the company aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Through strengthened collaboration under this agreement, as a social infrastructure company rooted in the sea, it aims to establish renewable energy methods through OTEC, build a regional industrial development model based on deep-sea water, and expand its business into surrounding industries.
