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Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.

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FY2020 Annual Report · Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.
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MOL REPORT 2020 

Year ended March 31, 2020

Moving the World

Food, apparel, medicines, automobiles, oil, gas, iron ore, wood…
We deliver a variety of essential goods that society needs to keep breathing.
Marine transport acts as the arteries that deliver the world’s lifeblood.
As long as human activity carries on, we will continue to move the world.
This is our resolution and the source of our pride.

2

1

The Mission We Aim to Fulfill

MOL Group Corporate Principles

As a multi-modal transport group, we will:

1

Actively contribute to global economic growth and development,  
anticipating the needs of our customers and the challenges of this new era

Strive to maximize corporate value through creativity, operating efficiency,  
and promotion of ethical and transparent management

2

3

Nurture and protect the natural environment by maintaining  
the highest standards of operational safety and navigation

Our Vision for the Future

Long-Term Vision

To develop the MOL Group into an excellent and resilient organization that 
leads the world shipping industry

The Fundamental Values
for Guidance in Daily Business Execution and Decision-Making

Challenge 
Honesty 
Accountability 
Reliability 
Teamwork 

 Innovate through insight

 Do the right thing

 Commit to acting with a sense of ownership

 Gain the trust of customers

 Build a strong team

Contents

Our Vision, Our Value
04  A Message from the CEO

10  History of the MOL Group’s Value Creation

12  Value-Creation Model

14  The Outcomes of Value Creation

For Our Sustainable Growth
16  Our Path toward Sustainable  

Enhancement of Corporate Value

18  Overview of Rolling Plan 2020

MOL’s Communication Tools
MOL produces the following publications as a means of promoting 
communication with stakeholders. The latest versions of all reports 
can be found on our website.
https://www.mol.co.jp/en/ir/

• MOL Report
• Investor Guidebook
• Market Data

Scope of the Report
The MOL Group, comprising Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., 368 consolidated 
subsidiaries, 103 equity-method affiliates, and other affiliated compa-
nies (If the subject of activities or data are limited, it is indicated by 
notes in the report.)

* Throughout this report, “the Company” refers to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.

Referenced Guidelines
•  “International Integrated Reporting Framework,” International 

22  Overview of Operations by Segment

Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC)

29  Market Position (Fleet Size)

30  Risk Management

32  A Message from the CFO

34  Special Feature:  

MOL’s Environmental and  
Emission-Free Businesses

38  A Message from the Chief Environment and  

Sustainability Officer

40  Overview of MOL’s Sustainability Issues    

(Materiality)

42  Value-Added Transport Services

46  Marine and Global Environmental Conservation

50 

Innovation for Development in  
Marine Technology

52  Human Resource Cultivation and  

Community Development

56  A Tripartite Discussion on Corporate Governance

•  “Guidance for Collaborative Value Creation,” Ministry of Economy, 

Trade and Industry

Index for Reverse Lookup of Topics in the Guidance for 
Collaborative Value Creation

1. Values

 P2, P4–9, P38–39

2. Business Model

 P4–9, P12–13, P16–29, P34–37, P72

3. Sustainability and Growth

 P4–13, P16–28, P30–55, P68, P69

60  Board of Directors, Audit & Supervisory Board  

4. Strategy

Members, and Executive Officers

63  Corporate Governance

68  Compliance

69  Social Responsibility

Data Section
70  Financial and Non-Financial Highlights

72  The MOL Group’s Global Network

73 

Information Disclosure and External Recognition

74  Glossary

75  Shareholder Information

Underlined words in this report are 
explained in the Glossary on page 74.

 P4–9, P16–28, P32–37, P40–55

5. Growth (Performance) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

 P14–15, P32–33, P70–71

6. Governance

 P56–67

Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains forward-looking statements concerning MOL’s 

future plans, strategies, and performance. These statements represent 

assumptions and beliefs based on information currently available* and 

are not historical facts. Furthermore, forward-looking statements are 

subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that include, but are not 

limited to, economic conditions, worldwide competition in the shipping 

industry, customer demand, foreign currency exchange rates, price of 

bunker, tax laws, and other regulations. MOL therefore cautions read-

ers that actual results may differ materially from these predictions.

* As of September 2020, unless otherwise specified

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3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Message from the CEO

We are steadily holding course on our management vision to “Become a 
Group of Business Units with No. 1 Competitiveness in Respective Areas.”
While minimizing the impact of unfavorable market conditions, we are 
making preparations to turn around businesses and take aggressive 
measures during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Junichiro Ikeda
President & CEO

An Oil Spill off Mauritius Caused by a Vessel Chartered by MOL

Please allow me to begin by saying with respect to the 

shareholders, and all other stakeholders. Our immedi-

oil spill that resulted after the WAKASHIO, a Capesize 

ate response to the accident has included dispatching 

bulker chartered by MOL, ran aground off Mauritius,  

personnel to the site and providing equipment to remove 

I am painfully aware of the magnitude of our social 

the spilled oil. Going forward, we intend to cooperate  

responsibility given the serious effect of this accident on 

and coordinate with the governments of Mauritius and 

the natural environment as well as on the lives of the 

Japan, related agencies, and the ship owner for an 

residents of the tourism-oriented country. I would like  

extended period of time to restore the natural environ-

to offer my deepest apologies for the considerable 

ment and contribute to the local community.

 concern and inconvenience caused to our customers, 

Our Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Changes in the 
Near-Term Business Environment

In fiscal 2019 ended March 31, 2020, the Dry Bulk, 

Committee, we have mobilized all of our in-house 

Energy Transport, and Product Transport business units 
were all in the black, and MOL posted ordinary profit of 

experts to appropriately assess the status of the global 
economy—as far as is possible amid continuing uncer-

¥55.0 billion. Originally, this result was to be a stepping 

tainty. Based on the committee’s assessment, we are 

stone in fiscal 2020 on the way to moving very close to 

taking steps both to minimize losses and to expedite our 

our “projected medium-term profit levels,” namely, 

return to a growth trajectory during and after the pan-

ordinary profit around ¥80.0 billion to ¥100.0 billion. 

demic. Our Rolling Plan 2020, announced in June, was 

Unfortunately, we have been forced to revise time frames 

created in this way—based on the deliberations and 

in light of the dramatic changes in the business environ-

mega-trend forecasts made by the committee. Going 

ment stemming from the current COVID-19 pandemic. 

forward, we will continue to closely monitor ever-chang-

Under the leadership of the Rolling Plan Special 

ing situations and revise strategies in a timely manner 

Committee, which is chaired by an executive vice presi-

while giving clear explanations to our stakeholders with 

dent and primarily comprises members of the Executive 

total transparency.

4

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Our Vision, Our ValueMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020A Message from the CEO

An Overview of Fiscal 2019

Before explaining our measures and strategies during and 

competence—we have gained confidence by our moves 

after the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to review our 

toward becoming a one-stop solutions provider. In  

performance in fiscal 2019. The most noteworthy achieve-

offshore businesses, our potential key growth areas,  

ment was realizing a profit in the Product Transport 

we concluded a long-term FSRU contract for Hong Kong 

Business Unit’s containership business, in its second year 

and agreed to take part in a new service operation vessel 

after integration. While there is still a gap to be filled in 

project for offshore wind power farms off Taiwan.

reaching the expected profit level, we were able to prove 

In environmental and emission-free businesses, which 

that integration was the right decision. Even within MOL’s 

are also positioned as key growth areas, the long-running 

long, 130-year history, I believe that this accomplishment 

Wind Challenger Project* has moved to a more concrete 

marked an extremely important turning point.

phase of exploring the installation on an actual coal carrier. 

The Dry Bulk Business Unit, despite generally lack-

Furthermore, our initiatives for the utilization of LNG to 

luster market conditions, was able to firmly post stable 

reduce environmental impact made considerable progress, 

earnings thanks to its long-term contracts. Although 

including placing orders for LNG-fueled ferries and coal 

stricter restrictions on sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions were 

carriers and taking part in an LNG-to-Powership business.

imposed from January 2020, we successfully acquired 

The aforementioned initiatives are representative 

new contracts by offering timely propositions to meet 

examples of how we steadily advanced toward quantita-

customer needs, such as installing SOx scrubbers on 

tive and qualitative medium-term goals and invested in 

vessels, which helps lower fuel costs.

potential key growth areas. We view fiscal 2019 as an 

  Meanwhile, the Energy Transport Business Unit 

extremely productive year for the MOL Group.

accumulated new contracts for LNG carriers and 

 performed existing long-term contracts as planned. 

Furthermore, a range of initiatives were steadily 

advanced. For example, in the chemical tanker 

 business—a field in which MOL has particular 

*  The Wind Challenger Project is a joint industry–academia research project that 
aims to significantly reduce fuel consumption by fully using wind power through 
the utilization of massive sail panels on vessels. MOL has been taking part in  
and promoting the Wind Challenger Project since it started in 2009. For details, 
please see page 35.

An Analysis of the Business Environment

the pandemic. It is conceivable that production bases 

Lastly, I am focusing on environmental issues. As a 

over dependent on China could be reviewed and in turn 

consequence of having faced a major crisis in the form 

dispersed to other regions. However, China’s presence 

of the potentially fatal COVID-19, which has affected the 

as a market and as a production base will remain 

whole of society, people may become more concerned 

enormous. While a global economy without China is 

about environmental issues because, in a similar way to 

highly improbable, we will need to continuously assess 

a pandemic, they could easily have a severe worldwide 

how commodity flows could change going forward.

impact. Some say that the world’s preoccupation with 

The second theme is acceleration of digital 

infectious disease countermeasures will result in 

transformation, including factory automation. If social 

environmental issues taking a back seat, but I do not 

distancing takes a firm hold due to the COVID-19 

believe it will be a matter of one set of issues taking 

pandemic, further automation is likely. Technology  

priority over the other.

is also closely linked to the potential supply chain 

In fiscal 2020, the divergence between the near-term 

restructuring mentioned earlier. The repatriation of 

issues that we face and the medium- to long-term 

production bases to developed nations comes with 

issues that we must also consider is much greater than 

challenges such as increased labor costs and shortage 

in a normal fiscal year. For this reason, we have shown 

of labor force, but technology could provide a solution to 

the way forward in our Rolling Plan 2020 both in terms  

these challenges. In marine transport operations, digital 

of countermeasures for the current emergency and 

transformation is certain to advance as companies 

strategies based on the medium- to long-term changes 

introduce a range of technologies that enable them  
to check vessels and cargo situations remotely and  

to provide customers with status reports.

that are likely during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Strategies of Rolling Plan 2020 and Fiscal 2020 Priority Strategies

In fiscal 2020, the MOL Group’s most important objective 

the environment undergoes seismic change, businesses 

will be to return to a growth trajectory. Accordingly, 

suffering greater-than-expected damage are the ones 

while focusing efforts on near-term business continuity 

with hidden weaknesses, while businesses achieving 

and minimization of the impact from unfavorable market 

firm results have unheralded strengths. It could be said 

conditions, we will take measures to get back on a 

that fiscal 2020 has given us an opportunity to rigorously 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, MOL’s business 

the Dry Bulk and Energy Transport business units has 

growth track as soon as possible worldwide during  

reassess the strengths and weaknesses of each 

environment has changed dramatically compared with 

been relatively limited as they are supported by long-

and after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I want to 

business and to revise our business portfolio’s priority 

that of fiscal 2019. The Product Transport Business Unit, 

term contracts. Nonetheless, the Group’s near-term 

emphasize that even amid the current changes in 

fields accordingly. For example, the Group’s offshore 

which carries finished goods, has seen a huge drop  

business environment is expected to remain adverse for 

operating conditions, our management vision, “Become 

businesses span many different fields, such as 

in cargo movements. In particular, the short-term 

a while. The aforementioned mobilization of in-house 

a Group of Business Units with No. 1 Competitiveness  

businesses related to oil, LNG, and offshore wind power. 

performance of the car carrier business has been 

business intelligence to predict macroeconomic 

in Respective Areas,” and the three core strategies that 

If we consider the energy mix going forward together 

significantly impacted. On the other hand, the effect on 

conditions as well as mega-trends in transport demand 
for our main cargoes has led us to conclude that cargo 

movements in most business fields are unlikely to return 

to 2019 levels until around 2022.

  However, looking at the world during and after the 

pandemic from a medium- to long-term point of view,  

I believe that rather than a sudden complete change in 

society, we are more likely to experience a strengthening 

of existing trends or an acceleration of changes. 

Particularly, I am focusing on three themes.

The first theme concerns the extent of impacts on 

globalization and supply chain restructuring. The spread 

of COVID-19 underscored the risk inherent in 

concentrating production bases in a single region, an 

issue the business world was mulling over even before 

will help realize this vision have not wavered. These are 
Portfolio Strategies: “Concentrated investment of 

with our weaknesses and strengths, the fields we should 
expand will become evident. This process will further 

management resources in the business fields where MOL 

advance our efforts to “Become a Group of Business 

has strengths, which will mainly be offshore businesses”; 

Units with No. 1 Competitiveness in Respective Areas.”

Business Strategies: “Provision of ‘stress-free services,’ 

In fiscal 2020, we will concentrate on the following 

which MOL will offer from the customer’s perspective”; 

measures. Initially, with the aim of adapting to changes in 

and Environmental Strategies: “Promotion of 

the present business environment and minimizing losses, 

environmental strategies and development of the 

we will make an all-out effort to implement defensive 

emission-free business into a core business.”

measures. MOL’s resilience to market conditions has been 

In the fiscal 2019 integrated report, MOL REPORT 

heightened to a considerable degree by very painful 

2019, I explained the particular meaning and importance 

structural reforms implemented over the past 10 years. 

that achieving “No. 1 Competitiveness in Respective 

However, in light of the ongoing changes in transport 

Areas” has for me. In just the type of challenging 

demand, we will take thorough measures to reduce our 

environment we are currently facing, the strengths and 

market exposure even further. We will also revise our 

weaknesses of each business will come to light. When 

investment plans by narrowing down the number of new 

6

7

Our Vision, Our ValueMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Message from the CEO

projects. Concurrent with these efforts, the MOL Group will 

clear competitive advantages or where we can provide 

senior management team and all employees as  

strategies of our current Rolling Plan 2020, we 

implement offensive strategies aimed at strengthening 

high-value-added services. With respect to business 

a consequence of the accident. In light of past 

announced MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0 in June 

competitiveness by (1) developing new businesses, (2) 

models, if there are fields in which the MOL Group is able 

experiences, we have concentrated our efforts on safe 

2020. Aiming to move steadily toward the greenhouse gas 

reducing cost, and (3) reforming business models, 

to enhance customers’ value chains by offering stress-free 

operation. However, the Mauritius accident has made us 

reduction targets of the Paris Agreement and the 

depending on the characteristics of each business. In 

services, we will actively consider shifting our business 

very much aware of the shortcomings that remain. We 

International Maritime Organization (IMO), we completely 

particular, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic we 

domains, even upstream or downstream from the fields 

consider the accident as a turning point at which we will 

redrafted our previous MOL Group Environmental Vision 

intend to focus even more strongly on qualitative growth. 

we are currently engaged in. Offshore businesses have 

reform the tangible and intangible components of our 

2030, setting more ambitious specific targets and 

By “qualitative growth” I mean transforming the entire 

taken the lead in adopting this approach, but I believe 

vessel operation management so that, in retrospect, 

announced our commitment to them.

organization into a leaner, more profitable business entity 

similar opportunities do exist for other businesses.

MOL earns a reputation for having transformed itself 

  Under the leadership of the chief environment  

and increasing our presence in fields where we can realize 

Strengthening Management Foundations for Sustainable Growth

With the aim of laying foundations to further accelerate 

current personnel to engage in a more diverse range of 

measures to realize our vision, in fiscal 2020 we added 

tasks, or being able to change systems and personnel 

“Enhancement of organizational strength” as a new 

deployment extremely flexibly in line with projects and 

management strategy. In order to expand into fields 

priorities. There may also be room for improvement in 

beyond traditional marine transport and seek qualitative 

relationships between the Head Office and subsidiaries 

growth, this is an appropriate time to conduct an overall 

and work allocation among Group companies. Over the 

assessment of whether our utilization of human 

coming three years, we aim to increase productivity by 

resources, work styles, and organizational structure are 

15%, redeploying the freed-up personnel to growing 

optimized and contributing directly to the realization of 

business fields.

our strategic goals. With this in mind, I have assigned 

In addition, with the COVID-19 pandemic expected to 

the executive vice president who presides over the cor-

continue, we must take rigorous measures to prevent 

porate divisions with revamping our organization. 

infection among business partners and our employees in 

Furthermore, the Work-Style Reforms Committee, which 

order to fulfill our social mission. In addition to the existing 

I chair, and the executive officer responsible for the 

business continuity plan (BCP), in February 2020 we 

Human Resources Division are working together to 

launched the COVID-19 Countermeasures Taskforce, which 

consolidate and mobilize expertise and resources scat-

establishes infection prevention and business continuity 

tered across the MOL Group and enhance productivity.  

measures. Fortunately, no impediments to our business 

I am using the word “productivity” here in a broad sense. 

continuity have arisen to date. However, we will continue to 

I view the meaning of productivity as not only doing the 

carefully monitor the situation of the pandemic and imple-

same work with fewer people but also enabling our 

ment appropriate countermeasures when required.

Our Approach to Sustainability

In 2019, during the in-house discussions on formulating 

MOL’s Sustainability Issues (Materiality), we reconfirmed 

that contributions to the solution of such social issues  

as those set out by the Sustainable Development Goals 

(SDGs) are in fact the existing value of our business and 

directly connected to our medium- to long-term growth. 

Positioned as the central Sustainability Issue of our 

Materiality, “Value-added transport services” conforms 

with the first of the MOL Group Corporate Principles, 

which calls on the Group to “Actively contribute to global 

economic growth and development.”

It is extremely regrettable that, rather than providing 

added value, we have created many difficulties for local 

residents as a result of the recent accident off Mauritius. 

Moreover, the accident violates not only the 

commitments represented in our Sustainability Issues 

but also one of the MOL Group Corporate Principles, 

namely, the commitment to “Nurture and protect  

the natural environment by maintaining the highest 

standards of operational safety and navigation.” We use 

an extremely large fleet of massive vessels to transport 

huge volumes of cargo worldwide. By realizing the 

positive aspect of our businesses, we can enrich the 

world. By actualizing their negative potential, we could 

cause harm instead. These self-evident truths have been 

indelibly engraved upon the minds of members of the 

into a safer, more reliable entity.

and sustainability officer (CESO), a position newly 

Among the impacts that our businesses have on 

established in April 2020, we will continue advancing 

society, negative effects on the environment rank 

both initiatives that maximize the positive effects we 

alongside accidents as phenomena that must be 

have on society and initiatives that mitigate the negative 

minimized. In particular, we must step up climate change 

effects such as environmental impact, thereby realizing 

countermeasures. To this end, in accordance with the 

sustainable improvement of the social value and 

environmental strategy that is one of the three core 

economic value that we provide.

In Conclusion

Worldwide, lockdowns of cities and restrictions on inter-

and meet the expectations of stakeholders, we cannot 

national travel in response to the current COVID-19 

confine ourselves to traditional marine transport. With 

pandemic are still limiting freedom of movement. 

this in mind, we will achieve growth by reassessing the 

However, as long as day-to-day life continues, energy 

sources of our competitive strengths and by venturing 

and daily commodities will be essential. This fundamen-

undauntedly into new fields where we can take full 

tal demand has given me a strong appreciation of the 

advantage of these strengths. Due to the particular 

fact that our social mission as a company engaged in 

characteristics of the marine transport business, some 

international marine transport is to deliver supplies to 

of the fields in which we are currently conducting proac-

those who need them at all times—even in emergencies. 

tive investment may take some years to bear fruit in the 

Further, the running aground of the WAKASHIO has 

form of returns. For this reason, through MOL reports 

made me acutely aware of the enormity of the social 

and other means, we will redouble our efforts to 

ramifications accompanying an accident. The MOL Group 

increase and improve our explanations so that stake-

will return to the fundamentals of safe, reliable trans-

holders feel confident about trusting MOL as a growing 

port and ensure that the Group fulfills its role as part of 

company with competitive advantages.

society’s infrastructure.

As we move forward, I would like to ask our share-

  Meanwhile, as I have explained in the past, if we are 

holders and stakeholders for their continued under-

to sustainably enhance corporate value going forward 

standing and support.

A tough business environment 
provides a real test of a company’s 
competitiveness in respective areas.
For this reason, we must keep on 
improving ourselves.

8

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Our Vision, Our ValueMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
History of the MOL Group’s Value Creation

Throughout its more than 130 years of history, MOL has grown into one of the world’s largest full-line marine transport 
groups by constantly anticipating the needs of its customers and the demands of the future, while overcoming various 
challenges along the way. What has enabled this is MOL’s “spirit of challenge and innovation.” MOL will continue to nur-
ture this spirit as it heads into the next 130 years.

Office building at the time of O.S.K. Line’s founding

Prewar

Expanding the Sea Routes Crucial to the  
Development of Japan’s Foreign Trade

The founding of MOL can be traced back to Osaka Shosen 
Kaisha (O.S.K. Line), which was established in 1884 by ship 
owners in the Seto Inland Sea area. At that time, the sakoku 
(closed-country policy) era of Japan had come to an end. 
Accordingly, the need for international marine transport rose 
dramatically. From the 1890s to the 1910s, the Company 
vigorously expanded into international shipping, beginning 
with short-sea and then expanding into deep-sea shipping.  
In the 1930s, the Company’s cargo-passenger ships, repre-
senting the state of the art in Japanese shipbuilding at the 
time entered service on the South America route. In these 
ways, the Company has grown as a foundation underpinning 
the development of foreign trade in Japan.

KINAI MARU, a high-speed cargo ship
Entered service in 1930, greatly reducing sailing time between Yokohama and New York

ARGENTINA MARU, a cargo-passenger ship
Entered service in 1939, representing the state of the art in Japanese ship-
building at the time

KINKASAN MARU, the world’s 
first automated vessel
Entered service in 1961, with 
automation helping to reduce 
the required number of crew 
members from 52 to 38

Japan’s Postwar Rapid Economic Growth Period

Growing into a World-Leading Full-Line Marine 
Transport Group Amid the Postwar Recovery and Rapid 
Economic Expansion of Japan

A large portion of Japanese merchant fleets suffered cata-
strophic damage during World War II. Amid Japan’s successful 
recovery from the devastation of war, MOL became an integral 
part of the development of the Japanese economy through its 
marine transport services. While doing so, the Company grew 
into a full-line marine transport group that possesses a wide 
range of vessels. The Company worked to promptly respond to 
the need for specialized and large-sized vessels and repeatedly 
took on challenges from a technological standpoint, including 
launching the world’s first automated vessel that maneuvers 
the main engine from the bridge and centrally controls the 
machineries from the engine control room and Japan’s first 
specialized car carrier. This approach enabled MOL to create 
new value and opened up the opportunities for business field 
expansion.

OPPAMA MARU, a specialized 
OPPAMA MARU, a specialized 
car carrier
car carrier
Entered service in 1965, as 
Entered service in 1965, as 
Japan’s first specialized car 
Japan’s first specialized car 
carrier
carrier

SPIRIT OF MOL, a training vessel
SPIRIT OF MOL, a training vessel
Delivered in 2007 as a Company vessel for 
Delivered in 2007 as a Company vessel for 
training officers and senior crew mem-
training officers and senior crew mem-
bers, by the time it was retired in 2013 the 
bers, by the time it was retired in 2013 the 
SPIRIT OF MOL had helped to produce 
SPIRIT OF MOL had helped to produce 
more than 2,200 senior sailor candidates.
more than 2,200 senior sailor candidates.

IWATESAN, a VLCC
IWATESAN, a VLCC
This 300,000-ton class VLCC was delivered 
This 300,000-ton class VLCC was delivered 
in 2003. It had the maximum crude oil 
in 2003. It had the maximum crude oil 
carrying capacity of any ship capable of 
carrying capacity of any ship capable of 
navigating through the Malacca Straits.
navigating through the Malacca Straits.

The Rising BRICs Economies, Centered on  
China, and a Boom in Marine Transport

Becoming a Top Global Player Following Remarkable 
Growth in the Resource and Energy Transport

After the 1999 merger with Navix Line, which was particularly 
strong in transporting natural resources and energy, MOL 
aggressively invested in these fields, predicting China’s eco-
nomic development and increased demand for natural 
resources. The Company continued a significant scale-up of 
its fleet, centering on dry bulkers and tankers, and became 
one of the world’s largest corporate groups in terms of fleet 
size in service. Reaping the benefits of these upfront invest-
ments, profit in fiscal 2007 reached a record high, led by the 
unprecedented boom in marine transport that was driven by 
the rapid expansion of imports in China.

BRASIL MARU, an iron ore carrier
BRASIL MARU, an iron ore carrier
This vessel was delivered in 2007.  
This vessel was delivered in 2007.  
As one of the world’s largest iron ore 
As one of the world’s largest iron ore 
carriers at that time, it helped reduce  
carriers at that time, it helped reduce  
unit transportation costs while reducing 
unit transportation costs while reducing 
environmental impact.
environmental impact.

NIPPON MARU (third generation), a cruise ship
Delivered in 1990, the vessel gained its present color as part of a large-scale refurbishment in 
2010. The NIPPON MARU continues to be loved as one of Japan’s most quintessential cruise ships.

At Present

Leveraging the Strengths MOL Has Accumulated over 
the Years and Expanding into New Business Fields to 
Meet the Needs of the New Era

Against the backdrop of a global economic slowdown and the 
oversupply of vessels, the shipping market stumbled and has 
continued to struggle with lasting stagnation. To respond to the 
increasingly difficult business environment, MOL implemented 
the Business Structural Reforms, which targeted the dry bulker 
business and carried out the integration of the containership 
businesses of three Japanese shipping companies. Additionally, 
the Company invested preferentially in its areas of strength, 
including the LNG carrier business, while working to expand 
into the new fields in offshore businesses and environmental 
and emission-free businesses to meet the needs of the new 
era. MOL continues to pursue challenge and innovation as a 
global leader in marine transport.

A service operation vessel (SOV)*1 
scheduled for completion in 2022

The Tokyo International Container Terminal (TICT)
The Tokyo International Container Terminal (TICT)
Containers of Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE), 
Containers of Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE), 
which entered business in April 2018 are loaded.
which entered business in April 2018 are loaded.

SEAJACKS SCYLLA,  
an SEP vessel
This SEP vessel*2, one 
of the world’s largest in 
operation, is owned by 
Seajacks International 
Limited, in which the 
Company owns a stake.

*2  Self-elevating platform (SEP) vessels are used for the 

installation of offshore wind power generation systems.

VLADIMIR VIZE (left),  
VLADIMIR VIZE (left),  
an ice-breaking LNG carrier 
an ice-breaking LNG carrier 
Delivered in 2019, MOL plays a key 
Delivered in 2019, MOL plays a key 
role in pioneering the Northern 
role in pioneering the Northern 
Sea Route by providing marine 
Sea Route by providing marine 
transport for the Yamal project, 
transport for the Yamal project, 
which is the world’s first project to 
which is the world’s first project to 
use an Arc7-class ice-breaking 
use an Arc7-class ice-breaking 
LNG carrier.
LNG carrier.

10

11

*1 Specialized vessels that support maintenance operations for offshore wind farms

Our Vision, Our ValueMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
Value-Creation Model

Input

Resources Supporting MOL Group

Manufactured Capital

  A wide array of around 800 vessels

  Sales and ship management 
offices in 43 countries and regions

Intellectual Capital

  Sophisticated knowledge and 
expertise in seamanship and 
nautical phenomena

  The technological capability to enable 
completion of high-quality ships and 
maintain them in good condition for 
an extended period of time

  Project-development capabilities 
based on an understanding of  
customers and markets

Human Capital

  Highly diverse land-based person-
nel and crew members numbering 
around 15,000

  Human capital who share the 
“MOL CHART” spirit

Social and Relationship Capital

  A history and track record extend-
ing across more than 130 years

  Customer networks and partner-
ships in Japan and overseas

  A presence in maritime affairs 
clusters around the world

Natural Capital

  A natural environment that  
sustains business continuity

Financial Capital

  A financial base that underpins 
reliable performance with long-term 
contracts extending over 20 years

  Stable cash flow generated from a 
diverse portfolio of vessel types and 
businesses

The MOL 
Group’s 
Strengths

A Diverse Fleet 
Lineup
We meet customers’ 
needs flexibly with  
a highly diverse fleet 
that is also one of  
the world’s largest  
in scale.

History and 
Experience
We provide highly 
reliable transport 
services backed by 
extensive experience 
and a long  
track record.

Global-Scale 
Networks
We develop our busi-
ness by leveraging 
world-spanning sales 
and ship management 
networks in combina-
tion with partnerships 
in various regions.

Our Business

By reinforcing our business foundation through a repeated cycle of value 
creation combined with reinvestment and the accumulation of knowledge, 
we aim to realize our management vision to “Become a Group of 
Business Units with No. 1 Competitiveness in Respective Areas.”

Outcome

Dry Bulk  
Business Unit

 ¥277.1 billion 

Revenues: 
Ordinary profit:   ¥12.0 billion 
Vessels: 

 263 

 P22

Iron ore and coal carriers

Small and medium-sized 
bulkers, short sea ships

Wood chip carriers

Energy Transport 
Business Unit

 ¥289.3 billion 

Revenues: 
Ordinary profit:   ¥25.4 billion 
Vessels: 

 363

The MOL 
Group’s 
Business 
Infrastructure

 P24

Tankers

LNG carriers, 
offshore businesses

Coal carriers

Product Transport 
Business Unit

 ¥475.4 billion 

Revenues: 
Ordinary profit:   ¥6.7 billion 
Vessels: 

 186

 P26

Containerships, terminal and 
logistics business

Car carriers

Coastal RoRo ships

Associated 
Businesses

Revenues: 
 ¥96.5 billion 
Ordinary profit:   ¥12.3 billion 

 P28

Real estate, tugboat, cruise ship, 
trading, and other businesses

Note:  “Revenues” and “Ordinary profit” figures are for fiscal 2019. “Vessels” 

is the number of vessels at the end of March 2020.)

Strategies for 
Sustainable 
Growth

Progress on Management Plan, 
“Rolling Plan 2020”

 P18

Three Core Strategies to Realize  
the Management Vision

1

2

3

Portfolio Strategies
Concentrated investment of management resources in 
the business fields where MOL has strengths, which 
will mainly be offshore businesses

Business Strategies
Provision of “stress-free services,” which  
MOL will offer from the customer’s perspective

Environmental Strategies
Promotion of environmental strategies and  
development of the emission-free business into  
a core business

Technology Innovation Unit

Safety Operations Headquarters

 P43

 P50

Our Approach to  
Sustainability Issues

 P40

Value-Added Transport Services

Marine and Global Environmental 
Conservation

Innovation for Development in 
Marine Technology

Human Resource Cultivation and 
Community Development

Governance and Compliance to 
Support Businesses

Enhancement of  
Organizational Strength 
(Organization Refresh)

Project promotion 
through cross- 
organizational 
collaboration

Groupwide  
improvement in 
productivity

Reinvestment and the accumulation of knowledge

Value we provide

Economic Value 

Profit Generation

Fiscal 2019 Results

Projected Medium-Term  
Levels

Ordinary profit

¥55.0 billion

¥80.0 billion– 
¥100.0 billion

ROE

6.3%

8–12%

Gearing ratio

2.14 times

2.0 times or less

Return to Shareholders

Dividend payout ratio

20% policy for the time being

Aim to create both 
economic value and 
social value 
sustainably

Social Value

Contribution to customers’ value-creation  
by linking supply chains worldwide,  
spanning from raw materials to products

Production of technological innovations that help 
resolve social issues

Contribution to reduction of  
environmental impact

Provision of high-quality employment and  
skill-development opportunities

12

13

Our Vision, Our ValueMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
The Outcomes of Value Creation

Economic Value

Revenues / Ordinary Profit

Gearing Ratio /  
Net Gearing Ratio / Equity Ratio

Net Income (Loss)* per Share / 
Cash Dividends per Share /  
Dividend Payout Ratio

Fiscal 2019

Ordinary Profit 

End of fiscal 2019

Fiscal 2019

¥55.0 billion

Equity Ratio 

24.5%

Cash Dividends per Share  ¥65.00

(¥ billion) 

(¥ billion)

(Times) 

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

1,155.4

55.0

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

200

150

100

50

0

2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

0

(%)

50

40

30

2.14

1.94

24.5

20

(¥) 

500

250

0

–250

–1,500

(%)

50

272

23.8

25

65

0

–1,425

-396

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

10

0

Cash Flows

ROA (Based on Ordinary Profit) / ROE

Credit Ratings

Fiscal 2019

As of August 2020

¥(6.5) billion

ROE 

6.3%

JCR 

A–

Fiscal 2019

Free Cash Flow 

(¥ billion)

300

200

100

0

–100

–200

–300

100.7

–6.5

–107.2

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

(%) 

10

0

–10

–30

(%)

5

0

6.3
2.62.62.6

–25.8

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

Type of Rating

Rating

JCR

Short-term debt rating 
(CP)

J–1

Long-term senior debt 
(issuer) rating

A– 
(Stable)

Long-term debt rating

A–

R&I

Issuer rating

BBB 
(Stable)

Short-term debt rating 
(CP)

a–2

Long-term debt rating

BBB

Moody’s

Corporate family rating

Ba3 
(Stable)

 Revenues (left)
 Ordinary profit (right)

 Gearing ratio (left)
 Net gearing ratio (left)
 Equity ratio (right)

  Net income (loss) per share (left)
  Cash dividends applicable to the year (left)
 Dividend payout ratio (right)

  Cash flows from operating activities
  Cash flows from investing activities
 Free cash flow

 ROA (right)
 ROE (left)

Revenues were down ¥78.6 billion year on year, mainly 
due to a decline in revenues from the containership 
business. However, ordinary profit increased ¥16.5 
billion year on year due to stable earnings from 
medium- to long-term contracts in the Dry Bulk and 
Energy Transport businesses; the accumulation of 
profits stemming from favorable market rates for 
tankers in the second half; and in the Product 
Transport Business, Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. 
(ONE), a containership business affiliated company, 
becoming profitable in the second year of its integration.

In an effort to streamline our balance sheet, we 
reduced interest-bearing debt ¥9.1 billion from the 
previous fiscal year-end and lightened total assets by 
¥35.7 billion. Shareholders’ equity was down ¥11.7 
billion year on year despite a ¥21.7 billion rise in 
retained earnings, owing to lower accumulated other 
comprehensive income. As a result, the net gearing 
ratio worsened 0.06 point, and the equity ratio was 
down 0.1 percentage point.

Growth in net income was limited to ¥5.7 billion year 
on year despite a larger rise in operating profit, 
because the extraordinary income/losses deteriorated 
due to an allowance recorded for doubtful accounts 
related to equity-method affiliates under the Dry Bulk 
Business and a loss related to business restructuring 
in the containership business. In line with our policy of 
maintaining a consolidated dividend payout ratio of 
20%, we distributed an interim dividend of ¥30 per 
share and a year-end dividend of ¥35, in association 
with the rise in net profit.

* Profit (loss) Attributable to Owners of Parent

Social Value

While continuing to invest aggressively in LNG carriers 
and offshore businesses, we maintained free cash 
flow to equilibrium at fiscal 2019 through disposing of 
assets and so forth. Going forward, taking into account 
business downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 
we plan to reduce our cash flow budget for new 
investment (excluding projects on which decisions 
have already been made) to ¥100.0 billion over the 
next three years as well as generate further cash by 
selling off assets, businesses, and projects so as to 
improve our free cash flow. 

Total assets were down from the previous fiscal 
year-end, while ordinary profit improved, resulting in 
0.8 percentage point higher ROA year on year, to 2.6%. 
Increase in profit attributable to owners of parent also 
prompted a 1.1 percentage points rise in ROE, to 6.3%.

The operating environment is expected to remain 
opaque due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we 
will continue working to bolster our profitability and 
improve our financial standing in an effort to further 
enhance our credit ratings.

Continuous Days of Achieving 4ZEROES

LTIF*1  
(Lost Time Injury Frequency)

Average Downtime*2 /  
Downtime Frequency Rate*3

Number of Environmental and  
Emission-Free Business-Related Ships*4

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Number and Percentage of Women  
in Managerial Positions*5

Fiscal 2019

LTIF 

Fiscal 2019
Downtime  
Frequency Rate 

0.38

1.00 per ship

Expected Number of  Ships 

18

End of fiscal 2023

Fiscal 2019
CO2 Emissions  
(Scope 1) 

15,304 thousand tons

End of fiscal 2019
Percentage of Women in  
Managerial Positions 

(Hours per ship  
per year)

(Number of accidents  
per ship per year)

Average among all industries in 2019 (1.80)

Average among marine transport industry 
in 2019 (1.35)

MOL’s target since fiscal 2015 (0.7 or below)

2.0

1.6

1.2

0.8

0.4

0

40

30

20

10

0

MOL’s target for average 
downtime per ship 
(24 hours or less)

MOL’s target for downtime frequency rate 
(1.00 or below)

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

Source of reference values: Overview of Results of  
the 2019 Survey on Industrial Accidents,” Ministry  
of Health, Labour and Welfare

 Average downtime per ship (left)
 Downtime frequency rate (right)

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0

MOL has consistently remained below the target value 
of 0.7 or less for LTIF since fiscal 2015. Our figure was 
particularly low in fiscal 2019, at 0.38. This number is 
substantially lower than the figures gathered by the 
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on the average 
across all industries (1.80 in 2019) and the average for 
the marine transport business (1.35 in 2019).

In fiscal 2019, our downtime frequency rate was 1.00 
per ship, meeting our target of 1.00 or less. However, 
average downtime in fiscal 2019 was 39.58 hours per 
ship, significantly above our target of 24.00 hours per 
ship, due to equipment malfunctions on newly built 
ships, etc.

(Number of ships)

20

15

10

5

0

4

3

1
20/3

17
2

7

8

13

1

4

8

18
2

8

8

7
3

4

21/3
(Expected)

22/3
(Expected)

23/3
(Expected)

24/3
(Expected)

 Ships related to LNG supply
 Ships related to alternative fuels
   Ships related to renewable energy

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

(Thousand tons)

20,000

18,676

18,203

17,774

16,369

15,304

16/3

17/3

18/3

19/3

20/3

Following the strategies formulated in our Rolling 
Plans, we focus on environmental and emission-free 
businesses. In the next few years, we expect to begin 
reaping the fruits of the seeds we have sown over the 
past years. By the end of fiscal 2023, we are expecting 
to have 18 environmental and emission-free business-
related ships, which include ships in areas of LNG 
supply, alternative fuels, and renewable energy.

Our CO2 emissions in Scope 1 have declined steadily, 
due in part to the transfer of our containership 
business to ONE, the newly established integrated 
company, in fiscal 2018. As is stated in MOL Group 
Environmental Vision 2.0, by 2050 we aim to reduce 
GHG emissions from ships by 50%, compared with  
2008 levels.

6.5 %

(%)

10

(People) 

50

40

30

20

10

0

6.5

25

20/3

21/3
(Expected)

22/3
(Expected)

23/3
(Expected)

24/3
(Expected)

8

6

4

2

0

  Number of women in managerial positions (left)
  Percentage of women in managerial positions (right)

We have set 8% as our target for the percentage of 
women in managerial positions, as we believe that 
promoting participation and advancement of women 
helps enhance corporate value. We expect to reach 
this goal by the end of fiscal 2023, reflecting an 
increase in the total number of women we hire.

As of June 2020

Zero serious 
marine incidents

548 days

Zero  
oil pollution
2,571 days

Zero fatal  
accidents

228 days

Zero serious 
cargo damage

548 days

We have set KPIs for continuous days of zero accidents 
in the four categories indicated above. We share these 
KPIs internally in an effort to heighten awareness 
toward operational safety. However, regretfully we  
will have to turn the count back to the beginning in  
two categories, “zero serious marine incidents” and 
“zero oil pollution,” due to a grounding and oil spill 
incident of the WAKASHIO, a Capesize bulker  
chartered by MOL, in August 2020.

*1  The number of work-related accidents per one million hours worked. Includes any workplace illness or injury that prevents a worker from resuming even a reduced workload on that day.
*2 The amount of downtime due to mechanical malfunction or accident per ship per year
*3 The number of mechanical malfunctions or accidents that result in downtime per ship per year

*4 Includes only ships with a certain ownership share
*5  Unconsolidated basis excluding loaned employees, contract employees, part-timers, etc., but including expatriate employees

14

15

Our Vision, Our ValueMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
Our Path toward Sustainable Enhancement of Corporate Value

Overcoming Unprecedented Changes in the Business Environment
Over the past decade, the marine transport industry has suffered from a softening of demand since the unparalleled 
boom of the 2000s. The marine transport market has been sluggish for a long time due to an oversupply of ships overlap-
ping with a slowdown in global economic growth. There has been no significant improvement in the structure of the 
industry even up to the present. The MOL Group, faced with such headwinds, has made a major shift toward a strong 
corporate structure that supports sustainable long-term growth. This shift was accomplished by reforming the business 
model to strengthen the resilience of the Group to market fluctuations and focus management resources on areas where 
it can utilize its strengths.

Our Management Plan

Fiscal 2010–Fiscal 2012

Fiscal 2013

RISE 2013

Our Management Plan

Fiscal 2014–Fiscal 2016

Fiscal 2016

Single Fiscal Year 
Management Plan

Business Environment

Business Environment

•  The financial crisis of 2007–2008 marked the end of a 

boom in global emerging economies. Nonetheless, the 
market for all three major vessel types (dry bulkers, 
tankers, and containerships) remained firm until around 
2010, mainly due to the Chinese government’s economic 
stimulus plan.

•  However, the oversupply of ships gradually became 

serious due to the delivery of vessels from the backlog  
of orders accumulated during the marine transport  
boom and remaining shipbuilding capacity.

•  With global economic growth lacking in vigor, oversupply 
of ships became chronic and there was no improvement 
in the supply–demand balance. We were convinced that 
we could not expect a return to steady upward trend in 
marine transport market conditions.

•  Meanwhile, the shale gas revolution created new busi-

ness opportunities in the LNG carrier field. Consolidation 
among operators in the containership industry 
progressed.

Outcome and Remaining Issues

Outcome and Remaining Issues

Aiming to return to a trajectory of profit growth, we 
launched new strategies such as further shifting to growth 
markets and strengthening business intelligence. However, 
we had not shed our belief—established through our 
experience of success in the 2000s—that expansion in scale 
leads to greater profits. For example, we set a fleet target 
of 1,200 vessels for the end of fiscal 2015.

As a result, as long-term stagnation in the marine 
transport market gradually became apparent, our three 
major vessel types went into the red in fiscal 2012. We 
implemented Structural Reforms*1 in the dry bulker busi-
ness accompanying a large net loss in the fourth quarter of 
the same fiscal year. Net income*2 recovered to ¥57.3 billion 
in fiscal 2013, largely thanks to these reforms.

*1  Approximately 130 dry bulkers without cargo contracts matching 

their respective procurement periods were transferred to a 
Singapore subsidiary while provisions were recorded for the 
difference between the rates we paid to ship owners under charter 
contracts and the market rates we received.

*2  Profit (loss) attributable to owners of parent

We started to work on Business Portfolio Reforms, aimed  
at concentrating investment in the ship types the Company 
has strength in, Business Model Reforms that enhanced the 
resilience of our fleets to market fluctuations, and Business 
Area Reforms through which the Company aimed to capture 
business opportunities in peripheral business fields, not only 
in transportation.

The fiscal 2012 structural reforms sought to strengthen our 
resilience to market exposure risks. With respect to dry bulkers 
without cargo contracts matching their respective procurement 
periods, however, we concluded that we had to rigorously reduce 
market exposure itself. Accordingly, we decisively implemented 
fundamental structural reforms at the end of fiscal 2015, 
including the lackluster containership business with the aim of 
achieving a recovery in the cost-competitiveness. Consequently, 
we recognized a significant extraordinary loss.

After the aforementioned structural reforms, in fiscal 2016 
we switched from the STEER FOR 2020 medium-term manage-
ment plan to a single fiscal year management plan to ensure 
that we moved into the black in fiscal 2016. As a result, we 
secured net income*2 of ¥5.2 billion in fiscal 2016. In addition, it 
was decided to integrate the containership businesses of three 
Japanese marine transport companies in October 2016.

Performance Trends for the Past 10 years
(¥ billion)

  Ordinary profit (loss)
  Net income (loss)*2

150

120

90

60

30

0

-30

-200

Our Management Plan

Fiscal 2017

Fiscal 2018

Fiscal 2019

Rolling Plan 2017 / 2018 / 2019

Business Environment

•  Changes in trade patterns due to expansion of protectionism, heightened sense of slowdown in the world economy, 

stagnation of maritime trade

•  Lack of curtailment of excessive shipbuilding capacity 
• Increasing ESG demands from customers and society, especially for climate change countermeasures

Recognizing the difficulty in obtaining appropriate and stable returns 
with conventional marine transport alone, we strove to ascertain 
the expected future changes in the business environment and formulate a strategy 
by working back from our 10-Year Vision.

Strategies and 
Results

10-Year Vision
Become a Group of Business Units with No. 1 
Competitiveness in Respective Areas

Three Core Strategies to Realize the 10-Year Vision

Achievements

Portfolio Strategies
Concentrated investment of management resources in 
the business fields where MOL has strengths, which will 
mainly be offshore businesses

•  Businesses were plotted on two axes (degree of specialization and profit 
stability), and based on the matrix, investment of management resources 
was focused on the offshore businesses, LNG carriers, ferries, and chemical 
tanker business

Business Strategies
Provision of “stress-free services,” which MOL will offer 
from the customer’s perspective

Environmental Strategies
Promotion of environmental strategies and development 
of the emission-free business into a core business

•  Launched industry-first information platform for customers called 

“Lighthouse” (see page 51)

•  Acquired new businesses (LNG-to-Powership business, etc.) through cross-

divisional business activities and use of chief country representatives
•  Acquired a new contract by proposing the next-generation coal carrier, 

EeneX

•  Newly established MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0, which will be the 

foundation of the MOL Group’s environmental strategies (see page 46)

•  Began a proper examination of the installation of Wind Challenger hard sails 

on ships (see page 35)

•  Decided to build LNG-fueled ferries and coal carrier as alternative fuel-

powered vessels

•  Made progress in the LNG fuel supply business
•  Procured funding for environmental projects through green bonds (see page 49)

End of FY2016

End of FY2017

End of FY2018

End of FY2019

Projected  
Medium-Term Levels

Ordinary profit

¥25.4 billion

¥31.4 billion

¥38.5 billion

¥55.0 billion

¥80.0-100.0 billion

ROE

0.9%

-8.7%

5.2%

6.3%

8-12%

Gearing ratio

1.96 times

2.19 times

2.11 times

2.14 times

2.0 times or less

Interest-bearing debt

¥1,122.4 billion

¥1,118.0 billion

¥1,105.8 billion

¥1,096.6 billion

Free cash flows

-¥56.3 billion

-¥2.4 billion

-¥143.0 billion

-¥6.5 billion

―

―

• Interest-bearing debt peaked, while investments proactively made in the LNG Carrier and Offshore Businesses. 

•  Free cash flows reached close to equilibrium (except a temporary factor resulting from the establishment of ONE in fiscal 2018).

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

(Fiscal year)

16

17

  For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
Overview of Rolling Plan 2020

  For details on our initiatives related to Rolling Plan 2020, please visit our website 
https://www.mol.co.jp/en/ir/management/plan/index.html

Establishment of the Rolling Plan Special Committee and Conducting of a Mega-Trend Forecast

Overview of Rolling Plan 2020

The global spread of COVID-19 and the sharp drop in 
crude oil prices have had a significant impact on the 
Group’s future management strategy. Aiming both to 
promptly plan and implement near-term measures in 
response to the sudden changes in the business envi-
ronment and to review medium- to long-term strategy 
from the ground up, the Company newly established the 
Rolling Plan Special Committee, chaired by the execu-
tive vice president executive officer who presides over 

World Economic Outlook

the sales divisions and consisting of the heads of each 
business unit. Prior to the formulation of Rolling Plan 
2020, the committee conducted a mega-trend forecast 
regarding major cargo movements and the business  
environment in order to accurately ascertain the current 
situation and determine how conventional trends  
have been and will be affected during and after the  
COVID-19 pandemic.

World GDP Growth Rate—MOL Basic Scenario (in comparison with two scenarios provided by IMF in April 2020*)

Quarterly Growth Rates

Growth Rate (Q1/2019 = 100)

(%)

15

10

5

0

-5

-10

-15

Expected to take until around 2022 to 
return to Q1/2019 levels 

Assuming a U-shaped recovery 
rather than a V-shaped recovery

(2021 Average)

5.8%
3.9%
3.0%

(2022 Average)
2.0%

-3.0%
-5.0%
-5.8%

(2020 Average)

115

110

105

100

95

90

85

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2 

Q3

Q4

2020

2021

2022

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

2019

2020

2021

2022

IMF baseline
IMF longer outbreak
MOL basic scenario

IMF baseline
IMF longer outbreak
MOL basic scenario

*  MOL’s own estimate based on IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2020: The Great Lockdown

Our Understanding of the Business Environment; Outlook for Major Cargo Movements (As of June 2020)

Dry Bulk Business
 (Iron ore, coking coal, 
grain, steel products, etc.)

•  Cargo movements of raw materials for steel production (iron ore, coking coal) will start to recover in 

2021, but recovery to 2019 level will likely take until 2022 or later. Cargo movements of grain, which are 
based on food demand, are expected to be relatively steady.

•  Demand for steel products in China, which accounts for about half of worldwide demand and production 

will remain strong, but steel products imports to ASEAN5 and Europe/U.S. may show a significant 
decline depending on the expansion of COVID-19 infection.

Energy Transport 
Business
(Crude oil, petroleum 
products, LNG, etc.)

•  Crude oil tanker demand increased sharply for offshore oil storage due to the rapid decline in petroleum 
demand and low crude oil prices, but the tanker charter market is expected to fall as offshore oil storage 
decreases from the second half of fiscal 2020. The market movement from fiscal 2021 will require close 
attention.

•  Global oil & gas companies announced budget cuts in capital expenditures for fiscal 2020. Upstream invest-

ments uniformly show a trend toward a significant reduction, and it is becoming evident that various develop-
ment plans must be canceled or postponed.

Product Transport 
Business
(Automobiles, 
containers)

•  Seaborne trade of automobiles will recover to 2019 levels from 2023 or later.
•  Global container cargo trade will hit bottom in July–September 2020. Trade throughout 2020 will 

decrease by around 25% from the previous year. Anticipate that trade will recover to close to the 2019 
level around 2022.

The Rolling Plan Special Committee formulated Rolling 
Plan 2020 based on its mega-trend forecast. In addition 
to its members, the committee mobilized officers and 
employees according to the agenda and held a total of 
17 intensive deliberations. As a result, it was concluded 
that the top priority of fiscal 2020 was a return to a 

growth trajectory accompanied by a focus on defensive 
measures. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that we should 
continue to aim to “Become a Group of Business Units 
with No. 1 Competitiveness in Respective Areas” in the 
medium to long term and keep working toward the 
realization of our three core strategies.

Top Priority in Fiscal 2020: Return to a Growth Trajectory (Please see page 20 for details.)

Defensive 
measures

Reduce market exposure 
and re-examine investment 
plans as part of crisis 
response

Business 
environment 
analysis

Envision a post-COVID-19 
world and elaborate on 
medium-to long-term 
forecasts

Offensive 
strategies

Growth strategies /  
structural reforms  
based on each business 
characteristics

Continuation of Efforts to Realize the Three Core Management Strategies and  
“Become a Group of Business Units with No. 1 Competitiveness in Respective Areas” (Please see page 21 for details.)

Management Vision

Three Core Strategies to Realize the Management Vision

Become a Group of 
Business Units  
with No. 1 
Competitiveness  
in Respective Areas

1

2

3

Portfolio  
Strategies

Concentrated investment of management resources  
in the business fields where MOL has strengths,  
which will mainly be offshore businesses

Business  
Strategies

Provision of “stress-free services,” which MOL will 
offer from the customer’s perspective

Environmental 
Strategies

Promotion of environmental strategies and  
development of the emission-free business into  
a core business

Enhancement of  
Organizational Strength  
(Organization Refresh)

Project promotion through 
cross-organizational 
collaboration

Groupwide improvement  
in productivity

Basic Concept  
•  As a result of forecasts for mega-trends of the world economy and seaborne trade during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we concluded that a 

significant decline in marine transport volume and a restrained stance on customers’ investments will be unavoidable in the foreseeable future. Based 
on the idea that we need defensive measures first of all, we will immediately reduce our market exposure and review our investment plans.

•  Concerning the three core strategies to realize the management vision, which we have been pursuing since fiscal 2019, with regard to  1  Portfolio 

Strategies, we will implement “Concentrated investment of management resources in the business fields where MOL has strengths, which will mainly 
be offshore businesses.”

•  We decided that the importance of  2  “Provision of ‘stress-free services,’ which MOL will offer from the customer’s perspective” and  3  “Promotion of 
environmental strategies and development of the emission-free business into a core business” are unchanged even post COVID-19. Therefore, we will 
continue to step up our efforts.

•  We will roll out “revamp the organization” as a new common theme among all divisions. This aims to further enhance organizational capabilities, utilize 

human resources—unrestricted by the boundaries of existing organizations—and improve productivity through structural work-style reforms.

•  We will achieve a quick return to a growth trajectory through the above initiatives, and continually aim to “Become a Group of Business Units with No. 1 

Competitiveness in Respective Areas.” Meanwhile, we are keenly aware of the responsibility of marine transport as an infrastructure that supports 
society even under the impact of COVID-19, so we will continually engage in vigilant efforts to ensure safe operation.

Profit Outlook

In fiscal 2019, ordinary profit was up 43% year on year 
to ¥55.0 billion due to the accumulation of highly stable 
profits and the achievement of profitability at ONE. 
Meanwhile, the timing of the end of the COVID-19 pan-
demic is still uncertain, and we cannot expect rapid 
recovery of the global economy, cargo movements, or 
other elements of the business environment. 
Therefore, we will take the necessary measures to 
surpass our fiscal 2019 results in fiscal 2022 and 
regain a growth trajectory.

Ordinary Profit: Results and Forecasts
(¥ billion)

Return to a  
Growth Trajectory

Swift recovery to  
fiscal 2019 level

55.0

38.5

31.4

65.0

40.0

Rapid 
deterioration 
of business 
environment 
due to 
COVID-19

±0.0

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2027

(Fiscal year)

18

19

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020Overview of Rolling Plan 2020

Principal Measures in Rolling Plan 2020

Top Priority in Fiscal 2020: Return to a Growth Trajectory

Continuing to Promote Our Three Core Strategies and Invigorating the Organization to Achieve Our Management Vision 

Defensive measures

Reduce market exposure, re-examine investment plans as part of 
crisis response

1. Thorough reduction of market exposure

Vessel Reduction: Plan to reduce the fleet (tankers, bulkers, car carriers, etc.) by a maximum of about 40 vessels, 
including 13 vessels that have already been confirmed
Hedging: Solidify profits by T/C Out, freight forwarding agreements (FFAs), etc.

2. Re-examination of investment plan

Reduce cash flows for new investments (excluding investments for which decisions have already been made) from 
¥200.0 billion to ¥100.0 billion for the fiscal 2020–fiscal 2022 period

3.  Additional disposal of non-business assets such as listed shares and real estate

Offensive strategies

Growth strategies / structural reforms based on each  
business characteristics

Each business will ensure its return to a growth trajectory through development of new businesses,  
cost reduction, and reforms of business models, based on its individual characteristics.

Main Policies for Fiscal 2020

Progress Made Until Fiscal 2019

•  Develop high-value-added vessels and  

enhance proposal-based sales

Dry Bulk 
Business

•  Strengthen renewable energy-related  

•  Generally achieved the profit level target set in fiscal 2017, despite 

businesses (transport of biomass power  
generation fuel, etc.)

•  Reinforce functions and cost competitive-

ness of overseas networks

fluctuating market factors

•  Reforming part of the general bulker business remains an issue

Energy  
Transport  
Business

•  Expand LNG business domains beyond  

transportation, including FSRUs,  
LNG-to-powerships, LNG bunkering, etc.
•  Develop new energy-related businesses 

such as wind power generation

•  Strengthen strategies for liquefied  

chemical total logistics

Product 
Transport 
Business

•  Develop an organizational structure and car 
carrier fleet composition that give us the 
agility to respond appropriately to fluctua-
tions in seaborne trade of automobiles
•  Address new logistics needs based on 

demands of customers in the Dry Bulk  
and Energy Transport businesses

•  Profits from long-term contracts of LNG carriers have accumulated 

mostly as planned

•  The offshore businesses have expanded projects, mainly in FPSOs, 

while profits from FSRUs were less than the expectations

•  The Tanker Division successfully reduced their market exposure in the 
product tanker fleet, while maintaining its business presence by form-
ing a pool with other companies. In the chemical tanker business 
progress was made toward becoming a total logistics solutions provider 
through strategic M&A, although the timing of its profit contribution 
has been behind the plans.

•  The car carrier business restored competitiveness by scaling down its 
fleet in order to meet the cargo trade volume reduction and making a 
European J/V company in the short sea trade a wholly owned subsidiary.
•  In the containership business, ONE incurred a huge loss in fiscal 2018 as 

a result of lost liftings caused by “teething problems” after the com-
mencement of service, but in fiscal 2019 the operation was stabilized, 
performance improved significantly, and ONE achieved profitability.
•  The logistics business suffered from stagnant earnings due to the 

impact of U.S.–China trade friction.

1

Portfolio Strategies

Concentrated investment of management resources in the business fields where 
MOL has strengths, which will mainly be offshore businesses

Firmly maintaining the direction of Rolling Plan 2019, while investment decisions to be made carefully and selectively

•  Investments in the energy and offshore businesses will slow down temporarily as per our mega-trend forecasts, but they are still recognized 
as growing fields on a long-term basis. Therefore, the direction of focusing on offshore businesses will be unchanged. However, assuming  
fiscal 2020 as the term to conserve strength, we will curb new investment.

Highly specialized*

Strategic Fields for Resource Allocation—Fields Where MOL Has Strength

Environmental and 
Emission-Free 
Businesses

Chemical 
Tankers

NVOCC 
Business

Ferries & Coastal  
RoRo Ships

LNG Carriers

Offshore  
Businesses

Terminal 
Terminal 
Business
Business

Logistics 
Logistics 
Business
Business

Iron Ore & Coal 
Carriers

LPG 
LPG 
Tankers
Tankers

Car Carriers

Crude Oil 
Tankers

Bulk 
Bulk 
Carriers
Carriers

Product 
Product 
Tankers
Tankers

Real Estate 
Business

Methanol 
Methanol 
Tankers
Tankers

Wood Chip 
Wood Chip 
Carriers
Carriers

Steaming  
Coal  
Carriers

Stable profits

Maritime 
Affairs

Variable profits

Containerships

• The size of the circle indicates the total amount of assets used (as of September 30, 2018).
• Dotted lines show directions and scale at which MOL is aiming.

*  In plotting the vertical axis (from highly to less specialized), each business was  

considered comprehensively after taking into account the perspectives listed below.

Less specialized*

•  MOL’s relative competitiveness  •  Versatility of vessel type 
•  Niche or mass market  •  Competitive environment

2

Business Strategies

Provision of “stress-free services,” which MOL will offer from the  
customer’s perspective

Aim to improve customer satisfaction with the keywords “digital” and “environment”

•  Enhancement of the utilization of digital marketing through initiatives such as continued implementation of measures to improve customer 
satisfaction using information and communication (ICT) (aiming to strengthen the functions of “Lighthouse” to further develop the platform) 
and introduction of web marketing

•  Development of one-stop services to meet various customer needs with one contact (for liquefied chemical total logistics, offshore wind 

power generation-related, etc.)

•  Reinforcement of solution-based sales, meeting environmental needs

3

Environmental strategies

Promotion of environmental strategies and development of the  
emission-free business into a core business

Implement strategies to achieve the goals set in MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0

•  Develop measures based on the newly established MOL Group 

Environmental Vision 2.0

  For details, please refer to page 34 (Special Feature: MOL’s 
Environmental and Emission-Free Businesses).

  For details on our initiatives related to Environmental Strategies, 
please visit our website.

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/sustainability/environment/index.html

Enhancement of Organizational Strength (Organization Refresh)

Project promotion through cross-organizational collaboration

Groupwide improvement in productivity

Gather expertise and resources scattered throughout Group companies to 
increase agility and acquire new businesses

Increase productivity by 15% over the next three years by taking advantage 
of our experience in efficiency improvement efforts during the work-from-
home period, and redeploy the saved human resources to growth areas

•  Utilize project teams (unrestricted by boundaries of divisions  

or Group companies)

•  Review operational processes, use and apply ICT
•  Draw upon knowledge and resources of MOL and Group 

•  Abandon “all-by-ourselves-ism” and promote partnership 

 companies (including transfer of duties)

strategies in a proactive manner

20

21

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020Overview of Operations by Segment

Dry Bulk Business Unit

Toshiaki Tanaka 

Director, Managing 
Executive Officer 
Director General of  
Dry Bulk Business Unit

I would like to begin with a sincere apology for the inconve-
nience and concern caused to local residents, customers, 
shareholders, and other stakeholders by the recent accident 
in which WAKASHIO, a Capesize bulker chartered by MOL, ran 
aground off Mauritius and spilled oil. Working in close part-
nership with governments, relevant agencies, and the ship 
owner, we will engage with full sincerity in restoring the envi-
ronment and supporting the local community.

  Fiscal 2019 Review and Fiscal 2020 Strategies

In fiscal 2019, the Dry Bulk Business Unit faced challenging 
conditions due to a sudden deterioration of the dry bulk 
market in the fourth quarter coupled with a concentration of 
renewals of long-term contracts that were concluded by the 
Iron Ore and Coal Carrier Division when the market was 
extremely firm. Although these adverse conditions resulted  
in a decrease in the profits of the Dry Bulk Business Unit as a 
whole, the unit was able to secure a certain level of profits.
  While it recorded a year-on-year decline in profits for the 
aforementioned reasons, the Iron Ore and Coal Carrier Division 
achieved higher profits than expected at the beginning of the 
fiscal year and had no operational issues. As for the Bulk 
Carrier Division, structural reforms implemented in fiscal 2015 
have been successful in significantly reducing market exposure. 
As a result, even amid sluggish market conditions, the Bulk 
Carrier Division achieved a commendable level of profits. In 
recent years, the Wood Chip Carrier Division has been engaged 
in a particularly large number of business negotiations on the 
replacement of existing wood chip carriers that were operating 
under long-term contracts. Through this process, MOL has 
steadily increased its presence and acquired the leading 
market share. In fiscal 2019, a series of new wood chip carriers 
for these long-term contracts were completed, thereby 
strengthening business foundations in this area.
  Meanwhile, in fiscal 2020, conditions are expected to be 
even more challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the 
moment, we must give priority to the steady implementation 
of defensive measures. We will minimize the effect of market 
deterioration by reducing fleet size in line with demand. That 
said, certain cargoes are likely to experience only small down-
turns even amid the pandemic. For example, firm cargo 
movements of grains based on food demand are expected. 

Current Business Portfolio and Strategies Going Forward

Fleet Table (Number of vessels)

Portfolio

Capesize

Standard 
DWT

180,000

i

d
e
z
i
s
-
m
u
d
e
m
d
n
a
-
l
l
a
m
S

s
r
e
k
l
u
b

Panamax

80,000

Handymax

Small handy

Subtotal

55,000

33,000

Wood chip carriers

54,000

Short sea ships

12,000

At the  
end of 
Mar. 2020

At the  
end of 
Mar. 2019

Main cargoes

84

18

54

26

98

36

45

94

Iron ore, coking coal

21

50

32

103

39

47

Iron ore, coking coal,  
steaming coal,  
grains, etc.

Steaming coal, grains, salt, 
cement, steel products, etc.

Steel products, cement, 
grains, ores, etc.

Wood chips, soybean meal, 
etc.

Steel products, plant 
equipment, etc.

Highly specialized

Iron Ore & 
Coal 
Carriers

Wood 
Chip 
Carriers

Stable profits

Variable profits

Bulk Carriers

Total

263

283

Less specialized

Furthermore, as other dry bulk cargoes are raw materials 
that form the basis of daily life, movements of such cargoes 
are sure to increase over the long term in step with growth  
in the world’s GDP and population. While near-term demand 
trends remain difficult to predict, we will proceed with prepa-
rations for our return to a growth trajectory in the next recov-
ery period.

  Progress toward Our Management Vision and the View Ahead

I feel that the uncertain global economic conditions are in fact 
leading to a relative increase in customers’ expectations of 
MOL’s reliability. More than any other factor, this reliability is 
the core of the Group’s competitive strength. There is a very 
large number of dry bulk service providers, and transport 
quality varies across the industry. Issues that can occur 
include inappropriately managed vessels being provided, 
frequent delays, and insufficient responses when problems 
arise. The fact that customers trust MOL not to have such 
issues is both the basis of the brand value we have built up 
over many years and our greatest strength. It is extremely 
regrettable that the oil spill resulting from the running 
aground of a MOL-chartered vessel off Mauritius greatly 
inconvenienced local residents and other stakeholders. The 
MOL Group is making a concerted effort to meet the needs of 
the residents of Mauritius and repair the damage done to the 
natural environment. Furthermore, we will use the accident 
as a starting point for the reform of existing operational and 
safety management methods and work hard to restore the 
trust of customers.

From fiscal 2020 onward, we will focus efforts on the 

environmental and digital fields with the aim of enhancing 
service quality. In the industrial sector, which accounts for 
many of our important customers, factories often have in-
house coal-fired power plants. With coal currently facing a 
strong headwind in society, if we can provide solutions to help 
reduce CO2 emissions, it could become a source of differentia-
tion from competitors. These ideas inspired the development 
of LNG-fueled vessels and the launch of the Wind Challenger 
Project, which utilizes wind power by equipping vessels with 
an extendable hard sail. Depending on customers’ needs, the 
Dry Bulk Business Unit could coordinate with the Energy 
Transport Business Unit to provide plants with LNG as an 

alternative fuel or utilize FSRU. As for digital technology 
initiatives, the “Lighthouse” service (see page 51), which  
we launched in January 2020, has been well received as a 
platform that enables unified, online management of informa-
tion related to cargoes and vessel operations. Going forward,  
we will upgrade the platform to make it even more user-
friendly. At the same time, we will search for new digital 
solutions that we can develop and roll out.

In realizing further growth, the Company also needs to 
strengthen its overseas sales activities. While China is transi-
tioning into a phase of stable growth, a relative increase in 
cargo movements in India, Southeast Asia, and South America 
is expected. In order to tap more of this demand than we have 
in the past, we will increase the development of dry bulk 
business specialists, examine optimal organization structures 
from the perspective of improving efficiency, and advance 
external business collaborations.

  Our Commitment Going Forward

In the past, our dry bulk business generated significant profits 
by benefiting from buoyant market conditions through proac-
tive and intensive fleet expansion that anticipated  
a surge in China’s marine transport demand for natural 
resources. Subsequently, however, we experienced a pro-
longed market slump and recognized extraordinary losses 
arising from structural reforms. At present, having come 
through a period of distress, the entire business unit has at 
last reached the brink of new growth. The dry bulk business 
operates on a large scale, with each of its projects involving 
huge amounts of money, and offers each employee opportuni-
ties to engage in wide range of work. It is a truly fascinating 
job where you can experience everything from procuring  
a vessel to concluding a marine transport contract. It is also  
a job that tests the personality and resourcefulness of each 
person in charge. From a macroeconomic perspective, dry 
bulk businesses handle more than 40% of the world’s cargo 
movements and are a critical component of the infrastructure 
that supports day-to-day life. Taking pride in the role we 
perform, we will increase the scale and presence of our 
 business to ensure firm profitability.

Market Environment Analysis

Business Strategies

 Opportunity 

 Risk

Cargo movement growth in the medium to long term in line with  
an increasing world population

Increase in business opportunities in India, Southeast Asia,  
South America, etc.

Tapping of demand stemming from customers’ need to  
reduce environmental impact

Stagnation of the global economy and cargo movements due to the  
COVID-19 pandemic and increased trade protectionism

Decrease in marine transport demand due to structural changes  
in the domestic industry

Develop high-value-added vessels while enhancing  
proposal-based sales through well-trained specialists

Strengthen renewable energy-related businesses  
(LNG fueled vessels, Wind Challenger Project,  
biomass fuel transport, etc.)

Improve customer services through digitalization

 For details of risk scenarios related to the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to page 18.

22

23

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
Overview of Operations by Segment

Energy Transport 
Business Unit

Kenta Matsuzaka 

Managing Executive Officer 
Director General of Energy 
Transport Business Unit

  Fiscal 2019 Review and Fiscal 2020 Strategies

Fiscal 2019 was a year of many achievements for the Energy 
Transport Business Unit. We made further progress in accu-
mulating highly stable profits in the LNG Carrier Division 
thanks to the completion of eight new LNG carriers, including 
one ice-breaking LNG carrier that is engaged in the Russia 
Yamal LNG Project. The Tanker Division achieved higher profits 
by capturing a steep rise in demand during the second half. 
Furthermore, the business unit sowed seeds in fields beyond 
marine transport. We participated in Asia’s first service opera-
tion vessel (SOV)*1 business, and with a Turkish partner we 
launched an unprecedented LNG-to-Powership business.

As for fiscal 2020, profits are expected to edge down due to 
the temporary allocation of one FSRU to a short-term contract 
in the period between the end of a medium-term contract and 
beginning of a long-term contract and a possible slump in 
tanker market conditions from the second quarter onward. 
Nonetheless, as a result of medium- to long-term contracts 
accumulated so far, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to only 
have a limited effect on the business unit’s performance.

*1  Specialized vessels that support maintenance operations for offshore  

wind farms

  Progress toward Our Management Vision and the View Ahead

FPSOs and FSRUs are representative examples of how the 
Energy Transport Business Unit has in recent years been 
expanding business fields upstream and downstream and 
tackling highly challenging projects that differentiate the 
business unit from competitors. I believe that the knowledge 
and experience garnered by taking on such ambitious initia-
tives has greatly heightened the competitiveness of our  
personnel. One turning point for our technical team was about 
10 years ago when it first experienced building LNG carriers 
in a Chinese shipyard, which were for Exxon Mobil 
Corporation. Given the difficulty of process control at shipyard 
in China, which did not share the common practices of  
shipyards in Japan or South Korea at that time, sending our 
technicians to conduct detailed supervision of construction 
processes at a Chinese shipyard and successfully completing 
an LNG carrier—which calls for one of the highest safety 
standards of all vessel types—in conformity with an oil 

Current Business Portfolio and Strategies Going Forward

Fleet Table (Number of vessels)

Portfolio

At the  
end of  
Mar. 2020

At the  
end of  
Mar. 2019

Highly specialized

Crude oil tankers

Product tankers

Chemical tankers

Tankers

(Methanol tankers)

(MOLCT*)

LPG tankers

Subtotal

LNG carriers  
(including ethane carriers)

Offshore 
businesses

FPSOs

FSUs / FSRUs

Subsea support vessels

Steaming coal carriers

Coastal ships (excl. Coastal RoRo ships)

Total

41

22

106

(24)

(82)

9

178

95

6

3

3

48

30

363

42 

21 

110 

(27)

(83)

8 

181 

87 

6 

3 

3 

47 

31

358

* Chemical tankers operated by MOL Chemical Tankers

Chemical 
Tankers

LPG Tankers

Variable profits

Offshore 
Businesses

LNG 
Carriers

Crude Oil 
Tankers

Methanol 
Tankers

Stable profits
Steaming Coal 
Carriers

Product Tankers

Less specialized

major’s strict requirements became the basis of our confi-
dence in projects thereafter. To date, we have built 13 LNG 
carriers at shipyards in China. We constantly assign techni-
cians to take over superintendent positions, thereby building 
high-quality vessels and continuously training personnel. 
Similarly, in sales activities we gained an appreciation of the 
difficulty of conducting businesses in fields other than con-
ventional marine transport when our first FSRU project, which 
had been planned for use in Uruguay, ended up being can-
celed. This bitter experience gave us knowledge about risk 
reduction methods that we have been employing in projects 
ever since. Taking advantage of the lessons learned from the 
aforementioned experiences, we will continue focusing efforts 
on expanding business fields in energy value chains. 

Forays from transport into peripheral business fields may 

give rise to concern that we are dispersing our resources. 
However, we have a strong awareness of the issues associ-
ated with remaining exclusively in the transport field. Simply 
remaining in the conventional marine transport business 
would make it difficult both to avoid the effects of market 
volatility and to differentiate ourselves from the position of a 
vendor responsible only for projects’ marine transport compo-
nent. We believe offering not only the transport services but 
also non-transport services in a single package will heighten 
the value we provide to our customers. LNG-to-Powerships 
are a good example of this approach.

In the past, the electric power division of a general trading 

company or a power utility proposed constructing a power 
plant to a customer in need of electric power infrastructure, 
and MOL’s role was just to transport the fuel required. 
Recently, however, we have been able to expand our role by 
forming tie-ups with external partners to offer customers 
unprecedented solutions based on the utilization of LNG-to-
Powerships. This change in our role has a far greater signifi-
cance than just the winning of an order for a single project. 
Naturally, this achievement was only made possible by MOL’s 
strengths, namely, a track record in the LNG carrier field and 
expertise in relation to FSRUs.

On the other hand, we must take longer-term viewpoints 

and analyze how the world surrounding the energy sector may 
change. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe 
values will change, and people and goods are likely to move 
less. As the transport sector is the main consumer of oil, less 
movement may bring forward the peaking of demand for oil. 

With fossil fuel accounting for the majority of the cargoes that 
the Energy Transport Business Unit handles, we could be 
dubbed the “Fossil Fuel Transport Business Unit” at present. 
Over the medium to long term, demand for LNG is expected to 
increase due to its comparatively low environmental impact. 
However, LNG is undeniably a type of fossil fuel, and there is 
no guarantee that demand for LNG will continue indefinitely. 
We need to objectively analyze changes in long-term environ-
mental demand and respond to them flexibly because the 
return on investments in vessels is realized during service 
periods spanning 20 to 25 years. With this in mind, we have 
placed projects related to offshore wind power farms under 
the consolidated management of the Steaming Coal Carrier 
Division and changed the division’s name to the Steaming 
Coal & Renewable Energy Project Division. By shifting the 
perspective from conventional “coal” to “electric power” and 
by reconsidering what it can do for customers, the new divi-
sion will be better placed to provide services that meet soci-
ety’s needs. Similarly, we will proactively extend our reach in 
offshore businesses from the conventional oil and LNG fields, 
to renewable energy related fields through forays into such 
areas as self-elevating platform (SEP) vessels*2 and SOVs. By 
changing its profile, the business unit is in a sense embodying 
the transition toward a low-carbon society.

*2  Special vessels that extend four legs to the seabed to enable the conducting of 
installation work for wind power generation equipment in stable conditions

  Our Commitment Going Forward

In the energy transport business, not only how we think about 
transport itself but also how we view the future of energy is 
very important. For this reason, we are always keeping an  
eye on increases in the utilization of renewable energy and 
medium- to long-term demand for respective types of fossil 
fuel. Based on our analysis of such areas, for several years, 
we have been sowing seeds in various businesses. In addition 
to the SOVs and LNG-to-Powerships given as examples ear-
lier, we are tackling the e5 Electric Vessel Project, which is 
developing zero-emission electric powered vessels, and the 
Wind Challenger Project, which utilizes wind-assisted propul-
sion. Through the aforementioned projects, we will produce as 
many concrete results as possible.

Market Environment Analysis

Business Strategies

 Opportunity 

 Risk

Increase in demand for LNG as a clean energy over the medium to long term

Rise in demand for offshore wind power and other types of renewable energy

Higher demand for FSRUs and LNG-to-Powerships centered on emerging countries

Steady demand for the development of deep-water oil fields, centering on Brazil

Long-term decline in demand for fossil fuel with the emergence of a low-carbon society

Shortening of the periods of charter contracts accompanying  
the commoditization of LNG

Decline in cargo movements due to economic sanctions on resource-producing 
countries or resource-consuming countries, political risks such as trade  
friction, or lower crude oil production by OPEC

Decrease in domestic demand for fossil fuel, which results from increased  
energy efficiency and a declining birth rate and an aging population

Reorganization or consolidation of domestic customers

Expand into business fields beyond transport  
in value chains, including FPSOs, FSRUs,  
powerships, and bunkering vessels

Cater to environmental needs by developing  
new-energy-related businesses, such as  
businesses that provide peripheral services for  
wind power generation

 For details of risk scenarios related to the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to page 18.

24

25

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
Overview of Operations by Segment

Product Transport 
Business Unit

Yutaka Hinooka

Managing Executive Officer 
Director General of Product 
Transport Business Unit

  Fiscal 2019 Review and Fiscal 2020 Strategies

In fiscal 2019, the Product Transport Business Unit’s biggest 
achievement was enabling Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. 
(ONE) to move into the black and get on a stable trajectory  
in its second fiscal year post-integration. Unfortunately, the 
company’s first fiscal year was extremely challenging due to 
“teething problems” associated with integration. However, the 
company was finally able to get on the track envisioned  
pre-integration by restoring its ability to realize yield manage-
ment* that is based on the provision of meticulous services 
and a focus on the continuous improvement of efficiency—
capabilities that had always been latent in ONE as a contain-
ership company with roots in Japan. Furthermore, I have a 
real sense that the Car Carrier and Ferry Business divisions 
have moved closer to realizing lean business structures. As 
the Car Carrier Division only deals with a limited number of 
customers due to the particular nature of its business, the 
division’s performance is unavoidably affected by the ship-
ment trends of automotive manufacturers. Nonetheless, we 
have been developing capabilities for the flexible adjustment 
of fleet size. With respect to the Ferry Business Division, 
although attracting more passengers remains a task, the 
division has succeeded in firmly capturing demand for freight, 
which underpins the profitability of the business, by establishing 
recognition among clients through a strong market presence.
  Meanwhile, in fiscal 2020, the business environment is 
still very tough due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the 
cargoes that the Product Transport Business Unit handles, 
the effect on such daily necessities as food, pharmaceuticals, 
and clothing has been limited. For other cargoes, however, 
global transport demand has decreased across the board. In 
response, our first priority at present is to stanch the bleeding 
as much as possible. However, demand is sure to return in 
step with the recovery of the overall economy. With respect to 
container cargoes, even if the sales channels of products shift 
from brick-and-mortar stores to online stores, we believe that 
the general structure whereby goods made in China are sold 
in North America and Europe is unlikely to change. 

Nevertheless, while objectively monitoring lifestyle changes 
from a broad perspective, we will make necessary prepara-
tions so that we are ready to tap resurgent demand.

*  Yield management is a method of maximizing profitability for the round-trip 

voyage of each container. Freight rates are set and sales activities conducted to 
maximize net proceeds, which are freight revenues net of direct costs. Direct 
costs include loading and unloading costs, feeder costs, and the costs of forward-
ing empty containers.

  Progress toward Our Management Vision and the View Ahead

To continue to be the top choice of our customers, we need to 
locate and respond to the potential needs that customers feel 
in daily business. In the parlance of MOL, this means consid-
ering how to provide “stress-free services” to customers. With 
this in mind, we always need to keep an ear to the ground and 
pay close attention to customer feedback.

For example, about two years ago, when the major typhoon 

that caused a shutdown of Kansai International Airport hit 
Japan, roads, railways, and other parts of the land transport 
network were affected and the Ferry Business Division received 
a huge number of freight transport requests. This made  
customers aware of the “stress” that can result from relying too 
much on land transport. Around the same time, there was the 
preexisting problem of the logistics industry’s shortage of truck 
drivers, which was also a source of stress. As a result of reliev-
ing customers’ stress by providing ferry transport services 
during the crisis, we acquired new customers for these ser-
vices even after the crisis. This is one example of meeting 
customers’ needs. Similarly, with lifestyles expected to change 
in many different ways during and after the COVID-19 pan-
demic, we must accurately identify the coming changes, such 
as where stress is arising for customers and what type of 
demand is increasing.

From the viewpoint of identifying customers’ potential 
needs, strengthening collaboration across the company will 
be more important than ever. The Product Transport Business 
Unit has to a certain extent established collaboration within 
the unit among car carrier, containership, and ferry busi-
nesses. On the other hand, it is not yet comprehensively 
catering to the logistics needs of customers who have busi-
ness relationships with the Dry Bulk or Energy Transport 

business units. Therefore, further strengthening of collabora-
tion with them is required.

The reduction of environmental impact is a major compo-
nent in responding to customer needs. As an example of the 
environmental solutions that MOL can realize, the Company 
has decided to build Japan’s first two LNG-fueled ferries, and 
we are currently proceeding with preparations aimed at com-
mencement of service from the end of 2022. Other initiatives 
include our Good Design Award 2018 winning FLEXIE series 
car carriers, which reduce environmental impact per unit of 
cargo by improving loading efficiency. We are also steadily 
implementing a range of measures that lower environmental 
impact, such as reducing emissions by having vessels use 
onshore rather than onboard power supplies while in port.

Another key for offering customers stress-free services is 
digitalization. Due to progress in IT, land transport services have 
evolved significantly over the past 10 years. It is an extremely 
important issue for MOL’s marine transport services to establish 
systems that can provide exactly the information customers 
require in a timely manner. I envision us ensuring the reliability 
and safety through tangible infrastructure, such as vessels and 
facilities, while also satisfying customers’ additional needs 
through the digitalization of intangible systems.

  Our Commitment Going Forward

Currently, we are in a challenging business environment due 
to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I would like to empha-
size that the Product Transport Business Unit—whose perfor-
mance correlates strongly with global economic growth—is a 
growing business. I believe it is a business in which opportu-
nities are sure to come along and that will not only regain to 
its former position but also begin growing again. The value  
of goods differs greatly depending on the location. We must 
remember to take pride in the fact that we fill the gap 
between production regions and consumption regions and 
help customers create value. We will always keep up to date 
with a range of developments, including general and 
 customer-related information, while using our imagination to 
think flexibly about what would be best for our customers  
and then responding to their needs accordingly.

Current Business Portfolio and Strategies Going Forward

Fleet Table (Number of vessels)

Portfolio

Car carriers

Containerships*

Ferries & coastal RoRo ships

Total

At the  
end of  
Mar. 2020

At the  
end of  
Mar. 2019

107

64

15

186

113 

65 

16 

194 

* Operated by Ocean Network Express (ONE)

Highly specialized
Highly specialized

Terminal Business

Logistics Business

Ferries & Coastal RoRo Ships

Market Environment Analysis

Business Strategies

 Opportunity 

 Risk

Cargo movements recovering and returning to  
growth after the containment of COVID-19

Capturing of demand arising from changes in physical distribution 
 as customers restructure their supply chains

Strengthen the profitability of ONE further

Progress in IT and digital technologies that helps improve customer services

Establish a fleet and organization that can flexibly adjust  
to changes in finished vehicle shipments

NVOCC Business

Variable profits

Containerships

Car 
Carriers

Stable profits

Increase in demand for domestic marine transport accompanying modal shifts

Tap the logistics demand of the Dry Bulk and Energy 
Transport business units’ customers

Less specialized
Stable profits

Prolongation of sluggish consumption due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Decrease in demand for marine transport due to  
a strengthening trend toward protectionism

Improve customer services through digitalization

 For details of risk scenarios related to the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to page 18.

26

27

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
Overview of Operations by Segment

Associated Businesses

Hirofumi Kuwata

Managing Executive Officer 
Responsible for Tugboat 
Business, New Businesses, 
and Others

  Fiscal 2019 Review and Fiscal 2020 Strategies

In fiscal 2019, the overall business results of Associated 
Businesses were mostly unchanged year on year as solid 
performances by the real estate and tugboat businesses 
offset lower profits from the cruise ship business, which 
reflected downtime during refurbishment and higher bunker 
costs. With respect to qualitative developments, Daibiru 
Corporation, the core company of the real estate business, 
acquired three properties in Sapporo for the first time as part 
of measures to extend investment scope. Furthermore, we 
remodeled the cruise ship NIPPON MARU, which celebrated 
the 30th anniversary of its commencement of service. In 
addition, the tugboat business used the LNG-fueled tugboat 
ISHIN to conduct LNG bunkering demonstration tests in the 
ports of Kobe and Nagoya.

In fiscal 2020, meanwhile, we expect profits to decline due to 

the COVID-19 pandemic. While the real estate business is likely 
to post stable profits, other businesses are expected to record 
less favorable business results. Specifically, the cruise ship 
business, which has been forced to suspend cruises for a long 
period, and the travel agency business, which primarily handles 
overseas business travel, are projected to move into the red. 
Also, the tugboat business is likely to see a decrease in the use  
of its services as fewer vessels are coming into and out of ports.

  Progress toward Our Management Vision and the View Ahead

For Associated Businesses, the trust, networks of customers and 
partners, and comprehensive strengths that the MOL Group has 
developed over many years in Japan and overseas are extremely 
important because they provide robust foundations.

By leveraging the Group’s networks, the tugboat business 

has developed operations overseas. Moreover, we are establish-
ing commercial operations for transport vessels used at offshore 
wind power generation sites in various regions, an area where 
we expect growth in the coming years. In Japan and overseas, we 
believe there are numerous remaining fields where the tugboat 
business can leverage the knowledge it has acquired in the 
course of domestic operations that span more than half a cen-
tury. Similarly, Daibiru has utilized the MOL Group’s human 
resources to make forays into Vietnam and Australia.

By consolidating and mobilizing the Group’s expertise, we 
can increase the potential for the creation of differentiated ser-
vices. To give one example, the LNG-fueled tugboat that MOL has 
developed in collaboration with the Group’s tugboat company 
emits approximately 20% less CO2 than a conventional tugboat. 
Consequently, this tugboat has the potential to become a new 
source of differentiation that we can offer customers who aim  
to reduce the environmental impact of their overall value chain.

Furthermore, in developing new businesses, we can also 

take advantage of the Group’s strengths. For example, by 
capitalizing on the knowledge we have garnered through 
collaboration with our valued partner in the Philippines, we 
plan to begin an overseas personnel consulting business 
aimed at addressing the labor shortage issues of customers 
and Japanese society.

  Our Commitment Going Forward 

As a part of the physical distribution infrastructure, marine trans-
port companies have tended to be focused on following estab-
lished practices and ensuring steady operations. Conventionally, 
the priority has been to keep operations and cargoes moving 
without any delays. In recent years, however, marine transport 
companies have been required to change the nature of their 
corporate constitutions in response to changes in the business 
environment and societal systems. No exception to this trend, 
MOL recently introduced a system for proposing new businesses 
and established a pilot office where employees can freely choose 
where to sit and work. Through these new practices, we are 
starting to cultivate a corporate atmosphere that supports 
employees who take on challenges and which encourages 
employees to initiate new projects from scratch. For such 
 measures to function effectively and advance, the relationship 
between the Head Office and Group companies must also change. 
There are always resources, competence, and expertise that the 
Head Office lacks but which Group companies have at their 
 disposal. We will promptly respond to needs during and after the 
COVID-19 pandemic and contribute to the sustained development 
of the MOL Group by breaking the barriers between the parent 
company and subsidiaries, conducting personnel exchanges 
proactively, and bringing together the strengths and competence 
that each company has fostered in its respective field.

Business Fields

Business Strategies

Real Estate

Leasing buildings and other real estate primarily through Daibiru

Cruise Ship

Operating the cruise ship NIPPON MARU

Tugboats

Assisting large vessels’ arrival at and departure from base ports in Japan and overseas and operating 
transport vessels to and from offshore wind power generation sites

Trading

Selling bunker, PBCF* and other equipment, and materials, etc.

Other

Conducting a travel agency business, which primarily arranges business travel, and developing new 
businesses, etc.

* Propeller Boss Cap Fins, which are energy-saving devices. For details, please visit this website. https://www.pbcf.jp/

Leverage the Group’s  
comprehensive strengths to 
cater to environmental needs, 
strengthen overseas businesses, 
and develop new businesses

Market Position (Fleet Size)

Toshinobu Shinoda

Managing Executive Officer 
Responsible for Real Estate 
Business, Cruise Ship Business, 
Trading Business, and Others

All Vessel Types

Dry Bulkers (including Steaming Coal Carriers)

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

(Number of vessels)

(Thousand DWT)

China COSCO

MOL 

NYK

APM-Maersk

Oldendorff

MSC

CMA-CGM

"K" Line

816

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0

29,277

Oldendorff

China COSCO

NYK 

MOL

"K" Line

Swiss Marine

Source:  Companies’ published data (Latest data published when checked in  

Source:  Companies’ published data (as of March 2020), Clarksons

May 2020)

Tankers

(Thousand DWT)

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

16,003

China 
COSCO

China 
Merchants

Euronav

MOL

NITC

NYK

Source:  Companies’ published data (as of March 2020), Clarksons

LNG Carriers (including on order)

(Number of vessels)

100

93

80

60

40

20

0

MOL

NYK

Nakilat*

"K" Line

Teekay

Maran Gas

 In operation 

 On order

* Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd.
Source: MOL internal estimation (as of March 2020)
Note:  The numbers include the vessels which are owned by each company (wholly or 

partially) and the vessels for which vessel operation is entrusted to each company.

Car Carriers

(Number of vessels)

Containerships

(Thousand TEU)

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

104

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

1,568

NYK

MOL

GLOVIS

"K" Line

EUKOR

WWL

HOEGH

0

Mærsk

MSC

CMA-CGM
Group

COSCO
Group

Evergreen

Hapag - 
Lloyd

ONE

HMM

Yang
Ming

Source:  MOL internal estimation (as of March 2020)
Note: Excluding spot-chartered vessels

 In operation   

 On order

Source: Alphaliner (as of April 2020)

28

29

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
Risk Management

  For details on our initiatives related to Risk Management, please visit our website.

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/ir/management/risk/index.html

As MOL conducts business on a global scale, the Company is exposed to a wide variety of risks. We work to adequately 
ascertain risk categories and levels and employ various procedures to reduce and hedge these risks.

Major Risks Affecting MOL

Industry- 
specific  
risks

Operating Risks  
(such as Marine Accidents, Oil 

Pollution, and Piracy)

Exchange Rate, Interest 
Rate, and Bunker Price 
Fluctuation Risks

Cyber Security Risks

Shipping Market 
Fluctuation Risks

Risks Associated with  
the Transition to a  
Low-Carbon Society

Natural Disaster Risks

Risks that  
exist in other 
industries 
as well

 Operating Risks (such as Marine Accidents, Oil Pollution, and Piracy)  

As a full-line marine transport group, MOL operates 
around 800 diverse vessels. The most fundamental 
risks we face are marine accidents such as collision, 
sinking, or fire that cause harm to vessels, cargoes, 
crew members or that result in environmental pollu-
tion (oil pollution) owing to spills of cargo or bunker 
fuel. In order to prevent these risks, the Safety 
Operations Headquarters and individual business units 
work closely together to implement a variety of coun-
termeasures—such as regularly supervising operating 
vessels’ safety practices including onboard inspection, 
and adoption of safety standard specifications which 
effectively maintain the safety of our vessels—both 

tangible and intangible. We also make a variety of 
preparations to counter the dangers of piracy and  
terrorism by providing sufficient training, putting in 
place precise operational rules, providing support from 
headquarters, and installing necessary facilities.
  We take out various types of insurance (liability 
insurance, hull insurance, war-risk insurance, and loss 
of earning insurance) to provide sufficient funding for 
any compensation that may be necessary to prevent  
a major impact on business performance if we or a 
related party suffer damages due to an accident that 
occurs despite our best efforts.

  For details, please refer to page 42 (Value-Added Transport Services).

 Shipping Market Fluctuation Risks  

Alongside marine accidents, other fundamental risks 
in the marine transport business are those related  
to the shipping market. To prevent excessive market 
risks, we manage risks by (1) limiting the number  
of vessels exposed to market risks by emphasizing 
medium- to long-term contracts, (2) substantially 
reducing the amount of risk by dispersing risk types, 
and (3) reducing the amount of risk by counter trading.
To limit the total amount of risks, we take the initia-

tives to obtain medium- to long-term contracts with 
customers that are highly creditworthy. In addition to 
narrowing down the portion of the fleet that is exposed 
to the market, we work to minimize risks by setting 
vessel charter periods from ship owners to coincide 
with periods of contracts with customers, thus neu-
tralizing our exposure to market fluctuation. When 
investing in vessels not allocated under medium- to 
long-term agreements, we carefully monitor future 
vessel supply and demand. We then invest selectively, 
only when the projected profit margins exceed our 

standards. 

To disperse risk, we use a portfolio strategy of 
diverse types of vessels subject to different patterns of 
market fluctuation. This approach helps us to balance 
market risk across business units, compensating for 
peaks and troughs.

Last of all, we reduce the amount of risks during 
each fiscal year by using freight forwarding agreements 
(FFAs) to hedge risk on vessel types such as Capesize 
bulkers and VLCCs. We seek to stabilize profits by 
reducing market exposure during each fiscal year.
  We manage our total amount of shipping market 
risks with a method we uniquely developed, called 
“total risk control.” The method uses elements of the 
VaR approach that is employed by financial institutions 
for risk management. Our basic policy is to monitor 
total risk amounts regularly and quantitatively, keeping 
them within the scope of shareholders’ equity.

 Exchange Rate, Interest Rate, and Bunker Price Fluctuation Risks  

Exchange Rates  For Japanese marine transport com-
panies, while most revenues are in U.S. dollars, some 
costs and borrowings are denominated in Japanese 
yen, presenting an exchange rate risk. MOL strives to 
limit its exposure by dollarizing costs and borrowings. 
To reduce this risk further, we also flexibly employ 
foreign exchange hedging to limit profit sensitivity.
Interest Rates  When securing long-term funding for 
capital investment, in principle we hedge interest rate 
risk by using fixed-rate loans and interest rate swaps.
Bunker Prices  Most medium- to long-term contracts 
with customers contain bunker adjustment factor or 
bunker price surcharge clauses that have the customer 
shoulder the risk of bunker price fluctuations.  For 
short-term contracts, we work out freight rates 
reflecting bunker prices at the time, or employ a  
formula to adjust freight rates in line with concurrent 
bunker prices. For the remaining exposure, we work to 
reduce the risk amount by using bunker forward 

trading. With these countermeasures, we minimize 
fluctuation in profit and loss resulting from bunker 
price fluctuations. 

Impact of Exchange  
Rate Fluctuations

Impact of Bunker  
Price Fluctuations

* Portion Exposed to Forex Fluctuation

Revenues

Expenses

Profit

*

U.S. dollar 
revenues

U.S. dollar 
expenses

*

Japanese yen 
revenues

Japanese yen 
expenses

Exposure

Hedged portion

n
o
i
t
p
m
u
s
n
o
c

l
a
t
o
T

Recoverable by 
bunker price adjust-
ment factor, etc.

o
t
d
e
s
o
p
x
e
n
o
i
t
r
o
P

n
o
i
t
a
u
t
c
u
l
f
e
c
i
r
p
r
e
k
n
u
b

 Risks Associated with the Transition to a Low-Carbon Society  

As a full-line marine transport group, we consume large 
quantities of bunker fuel, and in the meantime various 
types of fossil resources are a major source of cargo. 
Therefore, the ongoing decarbonization of society could 
present significant fluctuation risks to our business 
environment as public regulation could cause costs to 

increase and transportation demand to structurally 
decline. We are focusing on environmental and emission-
free businesses to turn these risks into profit-making 
opportunities. We are also addressing risks by developing 
alternative fuels, wind-powered vessels and formulating 
strategies employing a TCFD framework.

  For details, please refer to page 46 (Marine and Global Environmental Conservation).

 Cyber Security Risks  

We strive to curtail security issues and minimize  
the effect of incidents that occur by (1) establishing 
protocols for responding to major ICT incidents and 
implementing cyber security-response organizations, 
(2) establishing uniform regulations, rules, security 
tools, Internet of Things environments and operations 
consistent across Group companies and vessels 

 Natural Disaster Risks  

worldwide, and (3) raising security awareness and ICT 
literacy among executives and employees through 
e-learning and targeted e-mail training.

  For details, please visit our website.

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/sustainability/sustainability/
overview/security/index.html

To keep vessels operating even in the event of major 
earthquakes or other natural disasters and to fulfill 
our social role of maintaining supply chains, we have 
formulated a BCP manual and introduced satellite 

offices and backup systems, and also provide ample 
training. We have completed the distribution of note-
book PCs to all executives and employees and put 
remote working environments in place.

Action on the COVID-19 Pandemic  

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in February 2020 we wasted no time setting up a headquarters led by the executive vice 
president in charge of corporate divisions. We implemented a range of measures to simultaneously ensure (1) securing the safety 
of our clients, business partners, and employees, and reducing the risk of spreading the infection and (2) fulfilling MOL’s mission 
to serve as social infrastructure by providing stable shipping service even amid the pandemic. As a result, by the beginning of 
March, we had transitioned to full-time teleworking—in fact, we pioneered the industry when it came to work from home—and 
we have successfully maintained business operations without any major disruption.

In addition, we set up a Rolling Plan Special Committee to prepare for sudden changes in the business environment as a result of the 

pandemic, and formulated updated strategies in short order upon ascertainment of the latest status reports and future projections  
(see page 18).

30

31

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
A Message from the CFO

We will simultaneously take  
crisis-response measures, implement 
required investment, and improve our 
medium-term financial position.

Takashi Maruyama
Representative Director, Senior 
Managing Executive Officer, 
Chief Financial Officer

The WAKASHIO Accident

In my capacity as the chief financial officer, I apologize 
sincerely for the considerable concern and 
inconvenience caused to our shareholders, investors, 
and financial institutions by a recent accident in which 
WAKASHIO, a Capesize bulker chartered by MOL,  

ran aground off Mauritius and spilled oil. We will 
consider this accident as an opportunity to examine 
carefully where we were deficient from the viewpoints  
of environmental, social, and governance requirements 
and then endeavor to become a more valued company.

Looking Back at the Rolling Plans: Fiscal 2017–Fiscal 2019

We introduced rolling management plans in fiscal 2017. 
Over the three fiscal years since then, MOL’s structure 
has changed significantly. Just before the three-year 
period, in fiscal 2016 we implemented large-scale 
structural reform focused on the dry bulk business. 
Furthermore, fiscal 2018 saw the beginning of 
operations at Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE),  
a company formed through the integration of three 
Japanese shipping companies’ containership 
businesses. During the three fiscal years, ordinary profit 
increased steadily, rising from ¥31.4 billion in fiscal 2017 
to ¥38.5 billion in fiscal 2018 and ¥55.0 billion in fiscal 
2019, and return on equity (ROE) improved to 6.3%. 
Moreover, by the end of fiscal 2019 all business 
segments were in the black. Although we are still on the 
way toward realization of our projected medium-term 
profit levels, namely, ordinary profit between ¥80.0 

billion and ¥100.0 billion with ROE between 8% and 12%, 
we made a certain amount of progress in concentrating 
management resources on businesses where we can 
realize advantages—which has been a strategy since the 
introduction of the Rolling Plan 2017.

As for financial matters, although in the three-year 
period we invested proactively in priority fields—such as 
LNG carriers, offshore businesses, the ferry business, 
and the chemical tanker business—we employed a 
range of measures to ensure that the absolute amount 
of interest-bearing debt did not increase. However, we 
did not achieve a gearing ratio of 2.0 times or less, 
which was a medium-term goal. Furthermore, it took 
our best efforts to keep free cash flows in equilibrium, 
excluding extraordinary factors related to the integration 
of containership businesses. We will remain fully aware 
of the aforementioned points as important issues.

Rolling Plan 2020 Financial Strategy

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 since its sudden 
appearance at the beginning of 2020 is having a huge 
impact on the marine transport industry. In response to 
changes in the operating environment, we decided to 
return to the drawing board with respect to the fiscal 2020 
management plan, which was almost complete at the  
end of March. After redrafting not only strategies and 
measures but also the plan’s worldview and premises,  
we announced Rolling Plan 2020 to coincide with the 
Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in June.

In the process of redrafting the plan, we formed a 
Companywide project team comprising experts from 
various fields and rigorously analyzed the mega-trend 
forecast based on the macroeconomy and main  
cargo movements. Following deliberations by senior 
executives in light of the team’s findings, it was decided 
to give priority to defensive measures for profits in the 
current fiscal year with the aim of returning to a growth 
trajectory and surpassing fiscal 2019 results in fiscal 
2022 (See graph 1).

Regarding the plan’s financial component, as we 
cannot predict when the COVID-19 pandemic will be 
contained, our first priority is to maintain smooth 
funding. To this end, we will bring forward fund 
procurement for planned capital investment, undertake 
careful management of working capital so that as far as 
possible commitment lines remain unused, and make 
an all-out effort to secure funds through such means as 

the disposal of shares held for strategic reasons and 
other non-business assets and proactive liquidation 
focused on vessels.

In addition to measures for the current emergency, 

Rolling Plan 2020 includes plans for improving our 
financial position over the medium term. Over the next 
three fiscal years, we will reduce new-investment cash 
flows from the initially planned ¥200.0 billion to ¥100.0 
billion. We also set a new target for the achievement  
of positive free cash flows, which calls for the 
accumulation of ¥100.0 billion over the next three fiscal 
years (See graph 2). Until now, we have by no means 
made light of free cash flows. However, that we 
conducted financial management with an emphasis  
on growth and gave precedence to investments is 
undeniable. With the investments accumulated so  
far beginning to generate cash flows in line with our 
expectations, we decided to improve our financial 
position, which had been gradually deteriorating, by 
including our first clear target for positive free cash 
flows in Rolling Plan 2020.

Going forward, there will continue to be a host of 
competing candidate projects in growth fields, mainly in 
offshore businesses and environmental and emission-
free businesses. At the same time as tackling such 
projects, however, we will take crisis-response 
measures, implement required investment, and improve 
our medium-term financial position.

Graph 1  Ordinary Profit: Results and Forecasts
(¥ billion)

Graph 2  Cash Flows: Results and Forecasts
(¥ billion) 

(¥ billion)

Return to a  
Growth Trajectory

Swift recovery to  
fiscal 2019 level

55.0

38.5

31.4

65.0

40.0

Rapid 
deterioration 
of business 
environment 
due to 
COVID-19

±0.0

–198.3

Secure ¥100.0 billion  
free cash flows in  
three years

–200.0

–150.0

–100.8

98.3

–100.0

–107.2

100.7

55.2

–50.0

0

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2027

(Fiscal year)

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

 Cash flows from investing activities (left)
 Cash flows from operating activities (right)

200.0

150.0

100.0

50.0

0
(Fiscal year)

Shareholder Returns

We view increasing corporate value and returning profits 
through dividends as important management policies. 
With a consolidated dividend payout ratio of 20% as  
a near-term guideline, we pay dividends that reflect 
consolidated performance.

Since fiscal 2017, we have been able to raise annual 

dividends steadily in step with increasing profit levels, 
paying annual dividends of ¥20 per share in fiscal 2017, 
¥45 in fiscal 2018, and ¥65 in fiscal 2019. Nonetheless, 

we believe that increasing the consolidated dividend 
payout ratio itself is also an important medium- to long-
term task. While our near-term priority is to restore  
the equity ratio and other financial indicators that 
deteriorated in the 2010s, we will also be working on 
increasing the consolidated dividend payout ratio based 
on long-term perspectives.

In closing, I would like to ask our shareholders, investors, 

and financial institutions for their continued support.

32

33

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Special Feature

MOL’s Environmental and Emission-Free Businesses

“Promotion of environmental strategies and development of the emission-free business into a core business” is one  
of the three core strategies of the MOL Group for the realization of its management vision. Why is a marine transport 
company involved in environmental businesses? Which issues is MOL tackling and in what ways? By introducing  
three specific projects, this section sheds some light on such questions.

An Overview of Our Environmental and Emission-Free Businesses

Marine transport, the MOL Group’s main business 
domain, is being greatly affected by global trends toward 
environmental preservation and decarbonization for two 
main reasons. (1) Vessels themselves are one of the 
major causes of environmental impact in the form of 
carbon dioxide (CO2) and SOx emissions. (2) Our busi-
ness transports a wide range of fossil fuels and related 
products, including crude oil, coal, LNG, and liquefied 
petroleum gas (LPG). With respect to (1), we are 

engaging in the development of technologies for the 
reduction of environmental impact, such as alternative-
fuel vessels and electric vessels. As for (2), we are 
making forays into clean energy-related fields, including 
wind-assisted vessel propulsion, vessels for offshore 
wind turbine installation, biomass fuel transport, and 
LNG power generation. We refer to both types of  
initiative collectively as environmental and emission-
free businesses.

Three Core Strategies to Realize the Management Vision

1

Concentrated investment of 
management resources in the 
business fields where MOL has 
strengths, which will mainly be 
offshore businesses

2

Provision of “stress-free  
services,” which MOL will  
offer from the customer’s 
perspective

3

Promotion of environmental  
strategies and development of  
the emission-free business  
into a core business

Examples of Environmental and Emission-Free Businesses

Lowering the environmental impact of existing businesses

Developing new renewable  
energy-related businesses

Methanol-fueled vessels

LNG-fueled vessels

Utilization of methanation, 
ammonia, and biomass fuel
Under development

LNG-to-Powership  
Business

Project  2

Wind Challenger  Under development

Project  1

LNG bunkering business

Electric vessels  Under development

Project  3

Ancillary businesses for wind power 
generation

New PBCF*

Biomass fuel transport

* Propeller Boss Cap Fins, which are energy-saving devices. For details, please visit this website. https://www.pbcf.jp/

Our Approach to Project Advancement

As the above chart shows, the activities of the MOL 
Group’s environmental and emission-free businesses 
encompass projects for lowering the environmental 
impact of existing businesses and for developing 
renewable energy-related businesses. Consequently,  
in advancing these projects, crucial roles are played 
not only by the New Business Creation Team, which  
is in charge of new ventures, and the Technical and 
Smart Shipping divisions, which are responsible for 
technology development, but also by the sales divisions 
of existing businesses. That is to say, projects that 
incorporate environmental technologies into busi-
nesses in many different ways are being tackled 
throughout the Company and creating added 

environmental value both for new and existing busi-
nesses. Moreover, this approach is establishing a virtu-
ous cycle in which the added value created by an array 
of projects is then shared Companywide to become the 
basis for further advances. We take a flexible approach 
to advancing individual projects after their launch. 
Departments engaged in existing businesses lead 
projects if they are strongly linked to the businesses.  
If a project is in a new business field, the New 
Businesses Creation Team or the Technical Division 
take the lead. We also use cross-divisional project 
teams that enable relevant departments to coordinate 
their efforts.

MITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020

Summary
This ambitious project will lower environmental impact by 
using wind-assisted propulsion for large cargo vessels—
which are mostly dependent on fossil fuel for propulsion  
at present—thereby reducing fuel consumption.

Greenhouse  
gas reduction

 Approx. 8%

(For a single-sail vessel on a Japan–North 
American West Coast trade route)

History and Roadmap Going Forward

2009 

2013 

2017 

2019 

2022 

 Began examining basic technologies through a joint indus-
try–academia research project with the University of Tokyo

 Received a subsidy for next-generation marine environ-
ment-related technology research from the Ministry of 
Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

 Entered the commercialization phase led by MOL and 
Oshima Shipbuilding

 Obtained an approval in principle from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai 
for the design of a hard sail system

 Plan to begin operations of a new coal carrier equipped with 
a hard sail

Project Members

•  Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, 

the University of Tokyo

•  Ouchi Ocean Consultant, Inc.
•  Kanazawa Institute of Technology 

Innovative Composite Center

•  Tokyo Keiki Inc.

•  Iknow Machinery Co., Ltd.
•  Kansai Design Company, Ltd.
•  GH Craft Ltd.
•  ACT Co., Ltd.
•  MOL Techno-Trade, Ltd.

Project  1

Wind Challenger  
Project

Sailing Vessels—Reborn and  
Full of Potential

Reaching the challenging targets of MOL Group 
Environmental Vision 2.0 through the adoption of just  
a single environment-friendly technology would be  
difficult. A major attraction of Wind Challenger,  
a wind-assisted vessel propulsion system, is that it is 
compatible with and adds to the benefits of other 
energy-saving measures and technology, such as  
conversion from heavy oil to LNG, methanol, and other 
alternative fuels and subsurface energy-saving systems. 
Single sail is expected to reduce vessels’ greenhouse 
gas emissions by approximately 5% on Japan–Australia 
and 8% on Japan–North American West Coast trade 
routes. In the future, we aim to equip vessels with  
multiple sails and use them in combination with other 
measures for greenhouse gas reduction, thus develop-
ing a viable solution for realizing environmental goals.  
In October 2019, our Wind Challenger design of a  
hard sail system acquired an approval in principle from 
Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, or ClassNK, while our new coal 
carrier, equipped with this system, is scheduled to begin 
operations in 2022.

Message from a Project Member

The Wind Challenger Project is an epoch-making initiative that will significantly reduce CO2 emissions 
by employing the latest technologies to resurrect sailing vessels, which disappeared with the introduc-
tion of steamships. Rather than steel, the sail is made of glass fiber-reinforced plastic, a light and 
strong material. Further, the Wind Challenger system efficiently converts wind energy into propulsive 
force by using automated control to rotate and telescopically extend or contract the sail.

At the development stage, the greatest challenge was lightening the sail as much as possible while 
maintaining its strength. Careful examination of the sail’s effect in light of meteorological data revealed 
that almost no fuel-saving benefit was produced by the sail’s upper segment, designed for use in weak 
winds. Therefore, we solved the weight and strength dilemma by reducing the sail’s segments from five 
to four.

As well as equipping more MOL vessels with the sail following an inaugural wind-assisted vessel 

completion aimed for 2022, we want to help preserve the environment by disseminating Wind 
Challenger technology worldwide. 

Hidetoshi Fukushima
Sub-team Leader 
Technical Innovation Team 
Technical Division

34

35
35

For Our Sustainable Growth 
 
Special Feature

Project 

2

KARMOL  
LNG-to-Powership 
Project

Summary
Under the KARMOL brand, MOL and Karpower International 
B.V. (Karpowership)*1 are jointly making an unprecedented 
attempt to develop an LNG-to-Powership business. This 
fledgling business enables the establishment of power gen-
eration in a manner that, compared with the construction of 
onshore power plants, is lower cost, has shorter lead times, 
and results in less environmental impact. 

CO2 reduction 
of LNG  
versus oil

 Approx. 25%

*1  Karpower International B.V. is a subsidiary of Karadeniz Holdings A.S.,  

an energy company based in Turkey. A pioneer in the field of powerships, 
Karadeniz Holdings is the world’s only company that builds, owns, and 
operates powerships. Under the Karpowership brand, Karadeniz Holdings 
deploys a fleet of more than 20 vessels to operate powership businesses in 
approximately 10 countries.

LNG-to-Powership—A New Option 
in Electricity Infrastructure

Given the present need for rapid countermeasures to 
environmental issues, demand for LNG-fired power 
generation is growing worldwide as it produces lower 
environmental impact than other fossil fuels. In addi-
tion, securing the power infrastructure needed for 
industry is a pressing issue for emerging countries’ 
economic development. However, the construction of 
new onshore facilities requires significant time and 
expenditure. The KARMOL LNG-to-Powership business 
offers a new option that solves a range of issues, 
including cost, lead time, and environment friendli-
ness. The business provides integrated solutions that 
cover the use of FSRUs to receive and regasify LNG 
through to the supply of electricity by powerships. We 
will use the Mozambique Project—which we are cur-
rently working on—as an initial step on the way toward 
contributing to development and reducing environmen-
tal impact in regions worldwide.

History and Roadmap Going Forward

2017 

2019 

 Information acquired by the Offshore Project Division and 
initial contact made with Karadeniz Holdings through our 
chief country representative in Turkey

 Concluded an agreement under which MOL and 
Karpowership are to jointly own FSRUs and powerships  
and began working on an LNG-to-Powership project in 
Mozambique under the newly established KARMOL brand

Overview of LNG-to-Powership Business

Ship-to-ship transfer

Pipeline

LNG Carrier

FSRU

Powership

Substation

Deliver LNG 
to FSRU

Regasification of  
LNG on FSRU

Generate electricity on 
Powership

Provide 
electricity to 
households

Off-taker

Message from a Project Member

Many regions of the world still do not have sufficient electricity. Society also calls for curbing the CO2 
emissions that result from power generation. Leveraging MOL’s experience in LNG transport and FSRU 
operation, the LNG-to-Powership Project is ideally suited to help realize “Affordable and Clean Energy,” 
the seventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). While the project’s business format differs from the 
cargo transportation role of traditional marine transport, I am proud that we are able to help improve 
the quality of people’s lives and strengthen the foundations of industry by providing stable electricity 
supplies as a regionally rooted infrastructure business.

Restrictions on international travel and reductions in flights resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic 

have made it difficult to visit customers in emerging countries and on remote islands. On the other 
hand, the increased use of online meetings has enabled us to talk with customers more frequently as 
well as have discussions with people in relatively inaccessible locations. Without a doubt, electricity 
demand will continue rising as the populations of emerging countries grow over the medium to long 
term and their economies develop. Precisely because we are in unpredictable times, the need for 
powerships is growing as they are less costly and have shorter introduction lead times than  
onshore facilities.

Kyoya Nitta
Executive Officer 
General Manager of Offshore 
Gas Project Division

Project 

3

e5 Electric  
Vessel Project

Zero-Emission Electric Tankers—
Toward a World First

In March 2020, it was decided to construct two of the 
world’s first zero-emission electric tankers, or “e5 
tankers,” which were planned and designed by e5 Lab. 
Groundbreaking vessels that are powered by large-
capacity lithium-ion batteries, e5 tankers realize zero 
emissions of CO2, SOx, NOx, soot, and smoke. As they 
also produce little noise or vibration, the vessels help 
improve crew members’ work environment and reduce 
the impact on areas in and around ports. Upon delivery 
between March 2022 and March 2023, the e5 tankers 
will operate in Tokyo Bay as bunkering vessels.

Through the application of the latest technologies, 
e5 Lab will help address issues that the marine trans-
port industry currently faces. Also, the company is 
advancing initiatives to make the marine transport 
industry sustainable in fields other than tankers. For 
example, in December 2019 e5 Lab and MOL began 
planning the development of a car carrier equipped 
with a hydrogen fuel cell system and large-capacity 
batteries that achieves zero emissions while underway 
in coastal waters and in ports.

Message from a Project Member

Summary
Through e5 Lab Inc., we will advance the development and 
spread of electric vessels, thereby enabling the establish-
ment of new marine transport infrastructure services cen-
tered on electric vessels.

e5 Lab participants

Asahi Tanker Co., Ltd.*2: 30%

Exeno Yamamizu Corporation: 30%

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.: 20%

Mitsubishi Corporation: 20%

*2  An equity-method affiliate in which MOL has a 29.03% equity interest

Targeting  
Zero Vessel Emissions

History and Roadmap Going Forward

August 2019 

Established e5 Lab

October 2019 

 Obtained approval from the Ministry of Land, 
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for a plan  
to introduce advanced vessels with the aim of 
researching, developing, and introducing battery 
vessels

December 2019  Began joint study of a hydrogen hybrid car carrier

March 2020 

 Two of the world’s first zero-emission electric 
tankers, “e5 tankers,” were decided to be built by  
a member of e5 labo

March 2022– 

Planned delivery of e5 tankers

Five Focus Areas for  
e5 Lab’s Activities

Marine transport is essential for our country. By realizing electric vessels, e5 Lab will create new 
businesses and societal infrastructure that contribute to the common good and provide many different 
stakeholders with added value. In this way, the company will help realize sustainable marine transport 
that can be passed to the next generation.

The possibilities of electric vessels are numerous. As well as zero emissions, they promise to lighten 
crew members’ workloads and reduce accidents and risks. Moreover, electric vessels will create demand 
for electricity-supply infrastructure for vessels, vessel batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. There is also 
potential to use the vessels in emissions trading and as part of virtual power plant (VPP) systems.*3 
Furthermore, as they are equipped with large-capacity storage batteries, electric vessels can be used as 
emergency power sources during disasters. Looking ahead, as the integration of electric vessel technolo-
gies with communications technologies, the IoT, and other digital technologies gathers momentum, 
electric vessels are expected to evolve and enable smart marine mobility that combines outstanding 
environmental and economic performance. Through the activities of e5 Lab, MOL will create new 
 environment- and people-friendly businesses that open up a bright future for marine transport.

Tomoaki Ichida
General Manager of Energy 
Business Strategy Division 
President, e5 Lab Inc.

*3 VPP systems optimize the supply–demand balance of power grids by using the latest IT to coordinate a large number of small-scale power generation facilities.

36

37

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
A Message from the Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer

In April 2019, the MOL Group established the position of exec-
utive officer responsible for sustainability promotion, who 
conducted the overall management and advancement of the 
preparation and implementation of strategies that help 
achieve the SDGs. At that time, the New & Clean Energy 
Business Division, one of the sales divisions, was responsible 
for initiatives addressing environmental issues on which the 
Company places particular importance. This structure tended 
to make our sustainability and environmental measures 
 business-oriented rather than based on broader and more 
comprehensive approaches. To correct this, in April 2020 the 
aforementioned position was replaced by chief environment 
and sustainability officer (CESO), a new role and position that 
enables the management and advancement of sustainability 
and environmental issues from a higher viewpoint. Our aim in 
creating this new position is to increase our efforts toward 
realization of the SDGs through environmental strategies and 
businesses in a way that is more coordinated with Rolling 
Plans. In addition to the new position, we also established a 
new team within the Corporate Planning Division that is solely 

tasked with promoting sustainability and environmental initia-
tives. In this way, we have built capabilities that will more 
closely align the advancement of business management 
strategies and sustainability. As CESO, my mission is to over-
see the preparation of strategies and the implementation of 
measures while making sure that all internal organizations 
involved in sustainability efforts are on the same page. These 
organizations include a project team that spans the Company 
laterally, which was formed two years ago to embed the SDGs 
into internal operations; the Environmental Management 
Committee, which was instituted in fiscal 2019; and the 
Technology Department, which is responsible for developing 
the new technologies that play a critical role in reducing the 
environmental impact of marine transport. With respect to 
restoring the local natural environment that was damaged 
when a Capesize bulker chartered by MOL, the WAKASHIO, 
ran aground and spilled oil off Mauritius, I will hold discus-
sions with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders 
and support the MOL Group’s sustainable initiatives from a 
long-term viewpoint. 

As a company with clients in an extremely wide range of industries, rapidly sensing and  
meeting society’s expectations is something that comes naturally to MOL. 

At present, society is urging companies, central government 
agencies, municipal authorities, and other key entities to take 
extremely wide-ranging, large-scale steps in response to the 
SDGs and such issues as climate change mitigation. These 
social issues are long-term challenges for the human race 
and may at first seem overwhelming. However, I believe that 
society’s changing and growing expectations should not be 
unduly feared as risks. Indeed, such expectations are in a 
sense inevitable. If we look at the situation from the perspec-
tive of a marine transport company trying to cater to the 

needs of society and customers, it is only natural for the 
company to address these needs by advancing strategic initia-
tives that are long-term and sustainable. 

As well as serving as CESO, I am the director general  
of the Dry Bulk Business Unit. In this business unit, we are 
experiencing firsthand the major changes that the world is 
undergoing. Until now, we have achieved differentiation by 
meeting the needs of customers and by anticipating and 
offering solutions to their problems. For example, we have 
taken steps to ensure operational safety—the foundation of 

As CESO, I will step up 
our contribution to the 
SDGs through 
environmental strategies 
and businesses.

Toshiaki Tanaka 
Director, Managing Executive Officer 
Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer

our business—enlarge vessels and develop vessels capable of 
transporting large volumes of cargoes even in shallow ports. 
In other words, our efforts have mainly been within the scope 
of traditional marine transport. Increasingly, however, our 
customers are grappling with such questions as how best to 
approach problems arising from the environment and sustain-
ability and what type of action should be taken. In response, 
we must promptly devise ways of reflecting the changing 
needs of customers. Given that we do business with a wide 
range of industries, recognizing environmental and social 

needs and incorporating them into business strategies is a 
necessity. However, this adaptive approach is an inherent part 
of our corporate culture. Therefore, in response to the many 
different multifaceted issues that MOL faces in relation to 
environmental and social needs, it will actively communicate 
with customers and value chain partners, including shipyards 
and other suppliers, to formulate measures aimed at  
overcoming such significant issues. I believe that these  
efforts represent nothing less than the first phase of our  
sustainability initiatives. 

Embedding Sustainability Issues (Materiality) into day-to-day operations  
is the main task we face at present.

Looking back over the Group’s measures to date, the identifi-
cation of Sustainability Issues (Materiality) was a great stride 
forward. In fiscal 2019, we identified the positive and negative 
factors for society in our value chains and then determined 
priority Sustainability Issues. In the past, our Rolling Plans 
have tended to focus on economic and financial value. Thanks 
to our recent identification of Sustainability Issues, however, I 
think we have been able to show more clearly that we view 
ESG issues as inseparable from business management and 
essential for the continuation of MOL. I believe that we have 
also been able to underscore our proactive attitude to tackling 
ESG issues. 

In addition, with respect to environmental issues, we are 
making progress across a variety of other fronts. For example, 
the Group has been stepping up the pace of initiatives aimed 
at the “Promotion of environmental strategies and develop-
ment of the emission-free business into a core business,” 
which is one of the three core strategies of our Rolling Plan. 
Furthermore, we have been steadily implementing measures 
pursuant to stricter regulations on SOx emissions introduced 
in 2020. With the strong commitment and active participation 
of our management team, we have also recently established 
and announced MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0. As for 
social and governance issues, while there is no such thing as 
absolute perfection, we have been taking steps to strengthen 
compliance and governance. In particular, we have been 

focusing efforts on reforming the culture of our organization 
since 2014, when certain of our car carrier shipping transac-
tions were found to be in violation of regulations. 
  Meanwhile, we are still only at the halfway stage in 
making all of our employees fully aware of the Groupwide 
goals associated with the Sustainability Issues (Materiality) 
and incorporating these goals into day-to-day operations. In 
tackling initiatives, the Group has specified indicators for the 
measurement of progress toward some of its major goals. 
The “4 Zeroes” established to promote operational safety are 
an example of this approach. In many areas where we have 
not set out KPIs, however, I believe that employees unknow-
ingly take steps toward the resolution of Sustainability Issues 
when striving to meet customer needs properly. Therefore, 
among employees we need to inculcate the concept of 
Sustainability Issues so that they come to mind naturally 
during day-to-day operations. To achieve this, we must 
 cultivate a mindset whereby each employee is able to grasp 
changing needs of customers and society, see how these 
needs are linked to our Sustainability Issues, and deeply 
understand the linkage with day-to-day operations. In other 
words, while utilizing the new KPIs that we will set out going 
forward, I would like employees to clearly feel the degree of 
achievement and their own contribution in relation to 
Sustainability Issues as they carry out day-to-day duties. 

As CESO, I want to heighten our corporate value by ensuring that internal organizations are 
advancing in unison based on a shared medium- to long-term vision.

I believe my role as CESO is twofold. First, I must actually 
advance sustainability initiatives in-house. Second, I have to 
properly explain these initiatives to external stakeholders. 
With respect to in-house advancement, in fiscal 2019 we were 
able to establish benchmarks in the form of Sustainability 
Issues (Materiality). To implement specific measures, how-
ever, we still need to convert Sustainability Issues into forms 
that can be understood in the context of and incorporated into 
each business and project. As I explained earlier, while focus-
ing on the embedding of Sustainability Issues into day-to-day 
operations, I will ensure that internal organizations are 
advancing in unison based on a shared medium- to long-term 
vision, thereby heightening our corporate value. Moreover,  
I aim to build the MOL Group’s reputation by explaining the 
process and its outcome to external stakeholders. 

For many years, I have been engaged in the Dry Bulk 
Business Unit. However, I was also keen to test my abilities  
in a corporate field, and I therefore relish the prospect of 
tackling my new role. While I have direct involvement in front-
line operations as director general of the Dry Bulk Business 
Unit, I combine this viewpoint with a business executive’s 
Companywide perspective, which stems from my positions as 
chairperson of the Investment and Finance Committee, 
member of the Executive Committee, and director. The con-
trasting nature of my frontline and executive  positions allows 
me to absorb and offer opinions from a variety of standpoints. 
Making full use of this advantage, I will ensure that we keep 
the parts of our legacy that need to be kept while reforming 
those that require updating. Through these efforts, I will 
evolve the MOL Group’s sustainability toward a new level. 

38

39

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
Overview of MOL’s Sustainability Issues (Materiality)

The marine transport services provided by the MOL Group play an indispensable role as social infrastructure that supports 
day-to-day life. In fiscal 2019, upon evaluating the impact of our business activities on society from both positive and negative 
perspectives, we identified five social issues that need to be given priority as Sustainability Issues (Materiality). We believe 
that tackling Sustainability Issues will contribute to the achievement of the SDGs as well as the medium- and long-term 
growth of our business.

Process for Identifying Materiality

The Sustainability Promotion Project Team, which was formed in 2018, took the lead in discussions according to the 
following procedure, and the results were approved by the Executive Committee in April 2019.

STEP 
1

Identify candidate 
Sustainability 
Issues

STEP 
2

Evaluate and  
map each item 
(Diagram on  
the right)

STEP 
3

Analyze risks and 
opportunities for 
each item

STEP 
4

Finalize the 
Sustainability 
Issues

Large

/
s
r
e
d
l
o
h
e
k
a
t
s
o
t
e
c
n
a
t
r
o
p
m

I

y
t
e
i
c
o
s
n
o
t
c
a
p
m

I

Small

Large

We identify social issues of great importance to both  
society and the business of the MOL Group and specify 
them as the Group’s five Sustainability Issues.

Value-Added Transport Services

Marine and Global Environmental Conservation

Innovation for Development in Marine Technology

Human Resource Cultivation and Community Development

Impact on the MOL Group’s businesses

Governance and Compliance to Support Businesses

Initiatives of the Sustainability Promotion Project Team  

MOL implements a range of initiatives to raise awareness of Sustainability Issues for each and every employee in our 
day-to-day operations. In fiscal 2019, the Companywide Sustainability Promotion Project Team focused on four of our 
businesses, analyzed each one’s impact on society along value chains, and examined the additional value that can be 
provided to our customers in terms of sustainability. 

Sustainability Issues

(Materiality) 

Themes / Targets / Goals

Risks
(Negative impact in the event  
the goal on left is not achieved)

Opportunities
 (Positive impact in the event  
the goal on left is achieved)

Key initiatives  
associated with 
Sustainability Issues

SDGs to which we contribute via our initiatives

(numbers in parentheses are 169 corresponding targets)

Value-Added  
Transport Services

P42

 Safe and reliable transport
 Large-volume, bulk transport services
 High-quality transport services
 Elimination of maritime accidents
 Elimination of cargo accidents
 Prevention of work-related injuries

 Slowdown in economic activities and logistics
 Loss of trust in the Company from society
  Economic burden and damage to assets due to an accident
 Risk of casualties as a result of an accident

Marine and Global 
Environmental Conservation

P46

 Prevention of marine pollution
 Promotion of measures to mitigate climate change
 Reduction of air pollution
 Response to environmental regulations
 Realization of transport means with low environmental impact

Climate 
Change

 Decline in energy transport volume
  Delay in response to changing transport  
demand and trade dynamics
  Obstruction to safe operation caused  
by extreme climate conditions

Response to 
Regulations

  Disruption to vessel operation
   Loss of trust in the Company from society
   Economic burdens such as fines and sanctions

Innovation for  
Development in  
Marine Technology

P50

 Promotion of LNG fuel usage
  Advancement in the Wind Challenger Project
 Realization of autonomous sailing

   Obsolescence of existing technologies
  Inability to respond to future shortage of seafarers

 Human Resource Cultivation 
and  
Community Development

P52

 Employment of high-quality seafarers
 Development of human resources
  Pursuit of work-style reforms
 Promotion of diversity
 Contribution to regional development

  Loss of outstanding human resources
  Decline in productivity

   Contribution to active economic activity and 
creation of new transport demand
  Contribution to establishment of energy 
infrastructure in emerging countries
   Long utilization of vessels through  
appropriate ship maintenance, leading  
to enhancement of competitiveness
   Cultivation of operational insight

  Incorporation of new transport demand  
and establishment of new transport  
model that quickly captures changes  
in cargo movements
  Development of new sailing routes  
(Arctic Ocean)

  Decrease in environmental impact and 
reduction of transport costs by utilizing  
new technologies
  Involvement in environmental rule creation

  Providing safe and stable 
transport just as usual  
even amid the COVID-19 
pandemic

  Implementation of  
initiatives to achieve  
the goals set forth in  
MOL Group  
Environmental Vision 2.0

  Reduction of environmental impact by the 
widespread use of LNG fuel and the 
application of natural energy
  Improved competitiveness of offshore 
businesses and marine transport
  Enhanced ability to respond to 
 environmental regulations

Utilization of digital  
technologies to deliver:

  The provision of  
stress-free services
  Strengthened marketing 
and vessel management 
and operation support

  Improvement of human resource competi-
tiveness through recruitment of outstand-
ing talent and improved work productivity
  Promotion of innovation and response to 
business opportunities
  Incorporation of various ideas by  
attracting a diverse pool of talent from  
all over the world
  Economic development and a higher 
standard of living in emerging countries

  More effective operation of 
the new personnel systems
  Cultivating globalized 
human resources
  Management of MMMA,  
a maritime academy in  
the Philippines

 Governance and Compliance 
to Support Businesses
P63

  Adherence to fair business transactions
  Prevention of bribery and corruption
 Establishment of information security structure
 Prevention of harassment
  Protection of human rights

  Business continuity risks due to insufficient governance and  
internal controls
   Corrupted corporate culture

  Highly transparent and fair management
  Decision-making based on appropriate  
risk management

  Timely and appropriate 
crisis response to COVID-19
  Verification of the directors’ 
compensation system

40

41

  Promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization 
(9.2) and alleviating poverty (1.1, 1.2)
  Supplying modern and sustainable energy to  
developing countries (7.b)
  Preventing marine pollution (14.1)
  Environmentally sound management of  
chemicals and waste (12.4)
  Promoting partnerships with the public and  
private sectors (17.17)

  Improvement of energy efficiency (7.3),  
promotion of clean energy use (7.a)
  Mitigation of climate change (13.3)
  Preventing marine pollution (14.1) and  
protecting biodiversity (14.2)
  Promotion of sustainable forest management  
(through biomass fuel transport) (15.2)
  Promoting partnerships with the public and  
private sectors (17.17)

  Improvement of energy efficiency (7.3),  
promotion of clean energy use (7.a)
  Improvement of sustainability through increased 
resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of  
clean technology (9.4)
   Efficient use of natural resources (12.2)
  Mitigation of climate change (13.3)
  Prevention of marine pollution (14.1)
  Promoting partnerships with the public and  
private sectors (17.17)

  Providing access to high-quality technical and  
vocational education (4.3)
  Ensuring women’s full participation and equal  
opportunities for leadership (5.5)
  Providing productive employment and rewarding,  
decent work (8.5)
  Promoting partnerships with the public and  
private sectors (17.17)

  Ensuring equal opportunity (10.3),  
achieving inclusion regardless of attributes (10.2)
  Reduction in bribery (16.5)
  Promoting partnerships with the public and  
private sectors (17.17)

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Value-Added Transport Services

In today’s globalized world, people’s lives are underpinned by goods shipped from  
all over the world. In addition, the transport of goods from where supply is to where 
demand is creates added value and generates economic activity. The MOL Group sup-
ports people’s lives and industries around the world through the transport of a variety 
of goods, such as resources, energy, raw materials, and products. As one of the world’s 
main logistics arteries, constantly providing safe and high-quality transport is our 
greatest responsibility and the very reason for our existence.

The MOL Group—Transport on a Grand Scale

Container units transported annually  
(by ONE in fiscal 2019) 

Approx.12 million TEU*1

  Global container cargo  
movement*2 (2019)  
Approx. 147 million TEU

Annual iron ore shipments (fiscal 2019)

Approx.72 million MT

  Japan’s iron ore imports*4 (2019)  
Approx. 120 million MT 
China’s iron ore imports*5 (2019)  
Approx.1.07 billion MT

More than

3,500

total annual voyages

Port calls in more than

100

countries
145 countries  
facing the ocean

Annual LNG shipments (2019)

Approx. 70 million MT

  Japan’s LNG imports*3 (2019)  
Approx. 77 million MT

Number of vehicles transported annually 
(fiscal 2019) 

Approx. 3.8 million

  Japan’s vehicle exports*6 (2019) 
Approx. 4.5 million

*1 TEU stands for Twenty-foot Equivalent Units
*2 Source: Japan Maritime Center 
*3 Source: IHS Markit
*4 Source: Trade Statistics of Japan (World Trade Atlas)
*5 Source: China Customs (World Trade Atlas)
*6 Source: Ministry of Finance

Overwhelming marine transport capacity  
(for mainstay Asia–North American West Coast routes)

Percentage of marine transport in Japan’s 
trade volume*7

Marine transport: In the case of 
14,000 TEU containerships

Air transport: In the case 
of Boeing 747-8F aircraft

99.6%

Percentage of marine transport in interna-
tional logistics*8

Shipping 
capacity

Approx.139,000 MT Approx.130 MT

Approx. 90%

Shipping 
time

Approx.10 days

Approx.9hours

*7  Source: SHIPPING NOW 2020–2021, Japan Maritime Public 

Relations Center

*8 Source: International Chamber of Shipping

Strong Commitment to Safe Operation 

When it comes to fulfilling our social mission as a main 
artery of global logistics, safe operation is one of our 
most important responsibilities, which we must keep 
striving for without any compromise. In pursuit of effi-
ciency and economy, cargo ships have gradually grown 
larger over time. At the same time, however, the mag-
nitude of the risk posed by a single accident has grown 
correspondingly larger. Regrettably, the Group suffered 
four serious marine accidents in 2006, which caused  
a great deal of inconvenience for our stakeholders. We 
take these accidents very seriously and have conducted 
rigorous investigations to identify the causes of those 
accidents and prevent their recurrence. We also 

expanded a range of initiatives and measures, such  
as fostering a culture of safety shared throughout the 
Group, whether on land or at sea, further strengthen-
ing education and training, making organizational 
structure reforms, and establishing the Safety 
Operation Supporting Center (SOSC) that provides 
continuous support to operating vessels 24 hours a 
day. Regardless of how much effort we exert, however, 
safe operation is a never-ending theme. Keeping in 
mind the lessons learned from past accidents, each 
and every officer and employee of the MOL Group 
maintains keen awareness and works together to 
become the world leader in safe operation. 

Organizational Structure Supporting Safe Operation

The Operational Safety Committee, chaired by the 
president, deliberates and determines basic policies 
and measurements for ensuring and thoroughly 
enforcing the safe operation of all Group vessels. In 
addition, the chief safety officer (CSO) is delegated by 
the president to supervise strategy planning and policy 
implementation to instill and ensure high levels of 

Organizational Structure Supporting Safe Operation

safety in the overall business of the MOL Group and 
provide necessary advice to sales units’ director  
generals and executive officers. The Safety Operations 
Headquarters formulates specific measures related to 
Companywide safe operations, which are implemented 
by their respective departments. 

Operational Safety Committee

Chairman: President
Vice-Chairman: Director General of 
the Safety Operations Headquarters

Safety Operations Headquarters

Marine Safety Division

Smart Shipping Division

Marine Technical Management Division

LNG Marine Technical & Ship Management Strategy Division

Ship management  companies (MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd. 
and MOL LNG Transport Co., Ltd.)

KPIs for Ensuring Thoroughly Safe Operation

To visualize the processes for achieving safe operation, 
MOL has adopted “4 Zeroes” (zero serious marine 
incidents, zero oil pollution, zero fatal accidents, and 

zero serious cargo damage) as one of its goals. We also 
have the KPIs listed below and work to reduce num-
bers for each. 

1

2

3

4

Continuous achievement of  
the 4 Zeroes

LTIF*1 
(Lost Time Injury Frequency): 
0.7 or below*2

Average downtime*3:  
24 hours or less  
per ship per year

Downtime frequency rate*4:  
1.00 or below  
per ship per year

 Please refer to page 14 for changes in KPI data. 

*1  Number of work-related accidents per one million hours worked. In the scope of calculations, we originally included only workplace illnesses and injuries requiring disembarkation from 
the ship. From fiscal 2015,  we tightened the LTIF criteria, which now includes any workplace illness or injury that prevents a worker from resuming even a reduced workload on that day, 
regardless of whether the illness or injury requires disembarkation.

*2 From fiscal 2020, we have changed the target value for LTIF to 0.5 or below, which is even more stringent.
*3 The amount of downtime due to mechanical malfunction or accident per ship per year
*4 The number of mechanical malfunctions or accidents that result in downtime per ship per year

WAKASHIO Grounding and Oil Spill   

The WAKASHIO, a Capesize bulker that MOL chartered from a subsidiary of Nagashiki Shipping Co., Ltd. (the ship owner), ran 
aground off Mauritius and became unable to navigate under its own power on July 25, 2020. The vessel was en route from China 
to its next destination in Brazil via the Indian Ocean. Immediately after the accident was reported, MOL provided support to the 
ship owner in responding to the accident and containing the situation. Despite attempts to refloat the vessel and remove its fuel 
oil, progress was hampered by severe winter sea conditions as well as COVID-19 countermeasures and geographic constraints. 
Eventually, on August 6, local time, one of the ship’s fuel tanks ruptured, causing about 1,000 MT of oil to spill out. 
Consequently, the accident ended up having an enormous impact on the local aquatic and shore environment. MOL will  
continue to coordinate with authorities in Mauritius, the Japanese government, and related organizations and make efforts to 
contain the situation by providing the personnel and materials necessary for cleaning up the oil spill. In conjunction with these 
efforts, we will establish preventive measures.

42

43

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020Value-Added Transport Services

Operation of the Safety Operation Supporting Center (SOSC)

Message from the Chief Safety Officer (CSO)

vessel operators. Staffed at all times by two marine 
technical specialists including an experienced MOL 
captain, the center gathers all sorts of information 
relevant to vessels underway, including the itineraries 
of the approximately 800 vessels operated by the MOL 
Group, weather information, and domestic and interna-
tional news media, and is always ready to offer timely 
information when-
ever necessary. It 
also provides indi-
vidual advice for 
vessels in high-risk 
situations and 
consults with their 
captains. In the 
aforementioned 
ways, the SOSC 
makes every effort 
to prevent serious 
accidents.

• Severe weather
•  Tropical cyclones 
• Sea ice and icebergs
• Frozen river ports

Various Risks Surrounding  
Marine Vessels

• Political unrest
• Piracy
•  Experimental mis-

• Infectious diseases
•  Earthquakes and 

Weather-
Related 
Risks

Geopolitical 
Risks

sile launches

Other Risks

tsunamis

Based on the lessons learned in the accident that 
occurred in 2006, under the motto “Never let the cap-
tain get isolated,” we established the Safety Operation 
Supporting Center (SOSC) within the Head Office in 
2007. The center supports safe operations 24 hours  
a day, 365 days a year. 

Since MOL Group vessels criss-cross the world’s 

oceans, they need to respond effectively not only to 
adverse weather conditions such as stormy weather, 
tropical depressions, and frozen sea routes but also to 
numerous difficult situations, such as political instabil-
ity in the Middle East. In recent years, well-coordinated 
operations between land and sea have become even 
more important, with climate change leading to larger 
tropical cyclones, and deteriorating political and eco-
nomic conditions in some regions bringing greater 
threats of terrorism and piracy.
  With procedures in place to “never let the captain 
get isolated,” the SOSC ascertains these risks in real 
time and keeps in touch with the vessels, vessel man-
agement companies, marine technical teams, and 

Example of SOSC Functions:  
Dealing with a tropical depression

The SOSC confirms the forma-
tion of a tropical depression 
based on weather information 
from an external vendor.

SOSC
SOSC transmits relevant 
information to MOL vessels, 
such as when a tropical 
depression develops into  
a tropical cyclone and its 
projected trajectory. 

The captains contact the 
SOSC to consult about 
evasion plans and navigation 
courses.

The ship management companies, vessel 
operator, and marine technical teams*, coordi-
nate to confirm the routes of vessels underway 
and instruct vessels in port whether they need 
to take evasive maneuvers.

Ship management 
company

Marine technical team /  
vessel operator

The SOSC contacts the ship management companies, marine 
technical teams, and operators of vessels traveling in the vicinity 
of the tropical depression or cyclone. 

Procedures and Preparations to Deal with Marine Incidents

*  A team composed of maritime employees that advises and supports the vessel operators. There are several teams in charge 

by type of vessel.

The MOL Group has compiled its own response manual 
to deal with emergencies involving serious marine 
incidents and makes it available to all employees at  
all times. Moreover, we regularly conduct emergency 
response training with MOL-operated vessels during 
sailing, simulating various situations, such as fires, 
water immersion, piracy, and acts of terrorism. Once a 
year, we conduct tabletop drills, which involve MOL’s 
president, relevant corporate officers, and representa-
tives of relevant departments and ship management 
companies, vessels, and Group companies. The Coast 
Guard and the media also cooperate with these drills. 
In November 2018, we conducted a tabletop drill 

simulating the collision of an LNG carrier with another 
vessel near the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and in October 
2019 we conducted a drill simulating a fire on a con-
tainership in Ise Bay. Through these efforts, the Group 
will strengthen 
its entire emer-
gency readiness 
framework. 

Renewing our Dedication to Safety

In August 2020, regrettably, the WAKASHIO, a Capesize bulker 
chartered by MOL, ran aground and spilled oil off Mauritius. 
Although the ship was a charter from another owner, in my 
view all MOL Group officers and employees need to take this 
incident as seriously as if it had been one of our own and 
completely re-establish our mindset on safety with a humble 
attitude. Safety is not something achieved merely by the 
efforts of a few people directly involved in vessel operations. 
And a culture of safety is not something that can be created 
overnight. Safety cannot be achieved unless each and every 
officer and employee on land or at sea and in both the sales 
and corporate divisions remains constantly vigilant. With  
this in mind, we will rigorously tackle safety measures  
with renewed commitment.

Masanori Kato   
Managing Executive Officer 
Chief Safety Officer

Initiatives to Foster a Safety-Focused Culture

  Partnership between Our Sales Divisions and Our Maritime Employees  
At MOL, maritime employees serve in onshore office positions at regular intervals. 
Some of them are assigned to the Marine Technical Management Division or the 
LNG Marine Technical & Ship Management Strategy Division, where they  
communicate daily with our sales divisions and provide safety and other marine 
technical support. 

  Onboard Training  

Achieving safe operation requires enhanced safety awareness within the entire 
Company, including land-based employees. By encouraging employees to train on 
board our vessels for two to three weeks, MOL enables them to gain knowledge and 
hands-on experience of vessels and frontline operations. 

  Safety Campaigns  

MOL takes a variety of measures to provide opportunities for officers and employ-
ees on land and at sea to think about safety together. During our safety campaigns, 
land-based officers and employees visit the ships and exchange opinions on acci-
dent prevention with crew members in charge of on-site safety. Since fiscal 2017, 
we have been holding discussions under the main theme “Stop and Think More” to 
encourage crew members to pause and consider the correct action when they  
have any concerns or doubts while underway at sea. The information and sugges-
tions obtained during our safety campaigns are shared within MOL and between 
vessels operated by the Company and utilized to further strengthen our operational 
safety systems. 

  Safety Conferences  

From February to May each year, we hold MOL Safety Conferences at five locations 
in Japan, the Philippines, Croatia, India, and Russia—the countries that most of our 
maritime employees come from. We exchange opinions with the crews that work on 
board our vessels through presentations of our safety measures and reviews of 
accidents that have previously occurred on our vessels. 

  Operational Safety Workshops  
MOL’s Marine Safety Division regularly 
holds Operational Safety Workshops for 
land-based officers and employees as 
forums aimed at encouraging recognition 
of the fact that safe operation is not merely 
something entrusted to onboard crews, but 
something in which each and every one of 
our employees is involved. In fiscal 2019, 
we held these events five times for execu-
tives and employees of Group companies  
in Japan and overseas, and a total of more 
than 300 people attended. The workshops 
focused on such topics as the role of safety 
campaigns, our history of continuing to 
encourage land-based employees to visit 
our vessels, and case studies on how to 
avoid tropical depressions.

MOL Safety Conference at Vladivostok in 2019

44

45

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
Marine and Global Environmental Conservation

It is the societal mission of the MOL Group to take the lead in resolving common envi-
ronmental problems of humankind such as climate change, air pollution, and biodiver-
sity disruption as a participant in our world. Not only minimizing the environmental 
impact of the MOL Group’s business activities, we also work on providing solutions to 
environmental problems as an important business opportunity. Placing “Promotion of 
environmental strategies and development of the emission-free business into a core 
business” as one of the core strategies to achieve our management vision, we are 
actively promoting initiatives in the environmental field. 

Environmental Management Structure

The Environmental Management Committee, which is 
a subordinate organization of the Executive Committee, 
formulates medium- to long-term environmental 
goals, and reviews the progress on our goals and how 
we are pushing forward the environmental and zero 
emission projects. Furthermore, in April 2020 we 
established the role of the chief environment and sus-
tainability officer (CESO), who oversees the planning 
and implementation of environmental strategies, as 
well as a new specialized team within the Corporate 
Planning Division to take charge of the hands-on work.

Initiatives to Achieve the Goals Set Forth in MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0  

Goals 

Initiatives

1

Adoption of Clean  
Alternative Fuels

   Promoting LNG fuel usage
   Study and adoption of next-generation zero-emission fuels to 
succeed LNG fuels

MOL is carrying out simultaneous studies on various clean alternative fuels. For example, LNG is a fossil fuel, but it can reduce CO2 
emissions compared to conventional heavy oil, and we therefore consider it an effective alternative fuel that is ready for immediate 
use. However, since we cannot achieve our goals with LNG fuel alone, we will also consider other next-generation fuels, specifically 
synthetic methane from methanation, ammonia, and electric ships, among other possibilities. Regarding measures for the use of 
synthetic methane as vessel fuel, we joined Japan’s Carbon Capture & Reuse (CCR) Study Group* in fiscal 2019 and launched a 
multi-industry-spanning working group. 

The Technology Innovation Unit conducts environmen-
tal initiatives from a technology and ICT perspective.

Executive Committee
CESO

Environmental  
Management Committee

*  The CCR Study Group is a body to solicit CCR technologies from multiple industries for feasibility studies. CCR technologies provide alternative energies by combining CO2 

emitted from industry and hydrogen produced using renewable energy. 

Corporate Planning Division  
(Environment and Sustainability Team) 

Technology Innovation Unit

2

Adoption of Energy-Saving 
Technologies 

   Actual installation of Wind Challenger systems
   Adoption of other new technologies 

 Please refer to page 38 for details on the chief environment sustainability officer.

 Please refer to page 35 for further details on the Wind Challenger Project.

To Curtail Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions: Enactment of MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0

With the ever-increasing momentum to prevent cli-
mate change since the Paris Agreement came into 
force, in April 2018 the IMO (International Maritime 
Organization) adopted “IMO strategy on reduction of 
GHG emissions from ships,” which comprehensively 
set out international shipping GHG reduction targets 
and measures to achieve them. This strategy is the 

first in the world to commit to achieving zero GHG 
emissions during this century in a single internation-
ally spanning sector. In response, we also reviewed our 
Environmental Vision 2030, formulated in April 2017, 
and have newly enacted MOL Group Environmental 
Vision 2.0, which makes clearer commitments, includ-
ing the attainment of IMO objectives. 

MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0

The MOL Group is committed to achieve sustainable “Net Zero GHG Emissions”  
through collective efforts with all capabilities.

Deploy commercial  
Net Zero GHG Emissions 
deep sea vessels by 2030

Reduce total annual GHG  
emissions from the ships by 50% 
in 2050 compared to 2008

Achieve Net Zero GHG  
Emissions within this century,  
pursuing earlier

Previous reduction targets set out in Environmental Vision 2030 (established in fiscal 2017)

The MOL Group targets reduction of GHG emissions per unit load by 25% by 2030 and by 50% by 2050 
compared to fiscal year 2014” (efficiency improvement target).

3

Enhancement of Operational 
Efficiency

   Reduction of fuel consumption via real-time monitoring of  
vessel operational status

To further promote the measures we have put in place so far to reduce fuel consumption in operating existing vessels, we have 
established a new Fleet Performance Management Team within the Marine Technical Management Division, which will conduct 
concentrated monitoring to ascertain the operational status of individual vessels in a timely manner and work to ensure sailings  
in the most optimal speed. 

4

Building Business Models to 
Enable Net Zero GHG Emissions

   Active involvement in regulation and rule-making through  
industry associations and related government agencies

Discussions on international rules for global shipping are primarily conducted at the IMO. The direction taken in the introduction of 
new rules, depending on its content, can heavily impact the business environment for shipping companies, but we see it as an 
opportunity to build new business models, and we will actively participate in discussions through industry associations and related 
government agencies. 

5

Expanding Low-Carbon 
Businesses Using Concentrated 
MOL Group’s Strengths

   Business development in the area of next-generation fuels  
such as hydrogen, in addition to FSRU, LNG powerships,  
and renewable energy

If we only concern ourselves exclusively with GHG emissions from ships, it will be difficult to reach our goal of Net Zero GHG Emissions  
by early in the 21st century. By developing new businesses in the abovementioned fields, we intend to promote low carbonization for our 
entire Group business portfolio. Since supply chains have yet to be developed for many next-generation fuels, we aim to participate in  
a wide range of fields, from upstream (manufacturing) to downstream (transportation and supply), not just using them as vessel fuels. 

 Please refer to page 34 for information on our other endeavors in environmental and emission-free businesses. 

 Please refer to page 15 for information on our CO2 emissions volumes.

4646

47

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020Marine and Global Environmental Conservation

Scenario Analysis  

In fiscal 2018, to ascertain the impacts of climate 
change on our business as well as our business conti-
nuity ability given those impacts, with the support of 
the Ministry of the Environment, we conducted a trial 
scenario analysis utilizing the framework of TCFD. 
Furthermore, in fiscal 2019, following in-depth 
exchange of opinions with our sales divisions, we 
added our own perspectives to analysis of the long-
term outlook for key transportation demand and 
revised the content of the previous year’s analysis in a 

way that develops it further. In making these revisions, 
we picked the following four climate change-related 
items that we deem both important and likely to impact 
our business and quantified them in terms of their 
impact on our profits and losses according to the 2°C 
and 3°C scenarios*1. We will continue to improve the 
accuracy of our scenario analyses and use the results 
to promote individual initiatives to achieve the goals set 
forth in MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.0.

1

2

Levying and raising of  
a carbon tax

Further spreads of next-genera-
tion ships using alternative fuels

3
Tighter regulations under the 
Energy Efficiency Design Index 
(EEDI)*2

4

Fluctuation in ocean freight 
demand 

*1  Ultra-long-term future scenarios of energy demand and climate change. The 2°C Scenario is a scenario in which the necessary measures are implemented to control temperature 
increases to 2°C or less. The 3°C Scenario is a scenario in which economic initiatives and additional measures to address climate change are not sufficiently implemented. The 
former is put out by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the latter is MOL’s own scenario based on the IEA’s scenario. 

*2  The Energy Efficiency Design Index is a measure of a ship’s energy efficiency, theoretical CO2 emission figures calculated when the vessel was designed (g/ton-mile). Under the 

regulation, rates of EEDI reduction from benchmark values according to individual vessel types are gradually tightened. 

MOL’s Vision of the World under the 2°C Scenario

Cleaner society, shift toward renewable energy, and decrease in fossil fuel demand

Government

Carbon tax hike

CO2

Increased use of 
EVs*3 and FCVs*4

FCV

EV

Shift toward more  
low-carbon local  
production &  
consumption

Expansion of carbon tax /  
Decrease in fossil  
fuel demand

Fossil fuel

Steel

H2

H2

Hydrogen

H2

Decline in demand due  
to the transition toward  
lighter automobiles

Further utilization of 
Northern Sea Route using 
ice-breaking vessels

Development of next-
generation fuels

MOL

MOL

Increase in demand  
for offshore wind  
power generation

Clean energy

Biofuel

CO2

SOx

NOx

Acceleration of energy 
efficiency regulations / 
Initiatives on GHG  
emission reduction

Tightening of SOx and  
NOx regulations

IMO
Aim for Zero GHG  
Emissions by  
the end of the century

Air Pollution Prevention  

 SOx Regulations

Content of the Regulations

The SOx regulations limit the percentage of sulfur content in fuel in order  
to curtail the amount of sulfur in gas emissions. In January 2020, the IMO 
tightened the limit from 3.5% or less to 0.5% or less. 

Our management plan for fiscal 2019 set “Strategic 
actions for compliance with SOx regulations” as a focus 
area, and under our SOx 2020 Regulation Response 

Committee (which reports to the Executive Committee), 
we have taken Companywide measures to ensure that 
we are fully prepared for the tightening of regulations 
in January 2020. 

Of the three methods of compliance with the regu-

lations, (compliant fuel, SOx scrubbers, and the use  
of LNG and other alternative fuels), we take compliant 
fuel usage as our main measure, and use the other  
two methods on a ship by ship basis.

Compliant Fuel

SOx Scrubbers 

Compliant fuel complies with the new standards by limiting sulfur content to 0.5% or less. As a result of our early 
efforts to test the quality of compliant fuel supplied by various oil companies and secure the necessary quantities, we 
have completed the smooth transition of our fuel without causing any major engine trouble or downtime for our 
operating vessels. 

SOx scrubbers use water to filter sulfur out of exhaust smoke. By installing them we are able to continue to use 
conventional fuel. We have been installing SOx scrubbers primarily in larger vessels such as Very Large Crude 
Carriers (VLCCs) and Capesize bulkers, and as of May 2020 we had completed installation on 41 vessels, including 
those at the request of our customers. On a Groupwide basis, we plan to have them installed on 100 vessels by 2022.

LNG and Other 
Alternative Fuels

LNG fuel can reduce SOx emissions to zero, but since it requires installation of special LNG engines, it is mostly 
adopted in new ships.

In addition, we are making efforts in the areas of electric ships and the Wind Challenger Project (see pages 34 to 

37) as well as synthetic methane (see page 47).

Marine Environment Protection  

 Reduction of Ocean Plastic
Ocean plastic has a profound effect on marine ecosys-
tems. As part of our efforts to reduce ocean plastic,  
we plan to install a dedicated collection system on new 
ships scheduled to be delivered in fiscal 2020. When 
the ship takes in seawater, the system’s filters collect 
microplastics in the ocean that have been finely 
crushed to 5mm or less under the force of waves and 
ultraviolet rays, and we expect it to collect several 
hundred grams per ship (a few hundred thousand 
pieces of microplastic) annually. Land-based tests 
conducted in autumn 2019 confirmed the system’s 
ability to collect microplastics. We will consider 
expanding the system to additional vessels following 
the verification trial on the first one. 

 Ship Recycling

Microplastic collected in land-based tests

5mm

*3 Electric Vehicles  *4 Fuel Cell Vehicles

 Please refer to page 69 for MOL’s efforts in this regard.

Initiatives for Challenges other than Climate Change 

Protection of Biodiversity   

 Ballast Water Management Convention

Ballast Water Mechanism

Content of the Convention

Discharging port

Loading port

The Ballast Water Management Convention highlights the negative impact of 
the cross-border transfer of foreign marine organisms, which occurs when 
vessels release ballast water, on marine ecosystems. Under the Convention, 
all vessels are mandated to install ballast water treatment systems by 2024.

In anticipation of the enactment of the Ballast Water 
Management Convention, adopted by the IMO, we 
decided to make the installation of ballast water man-
agement systems a Companywide policy in fiscal 2014. 
As of April 2020, we have completed installation of 
these management systems on 167 vessels. Our policy 
is to complete installation on all of our owned vessels 
by the time limit set by the Convention.

Marine organisms

Impact on 

marine 

ecosystem

Ballast water is taken in to provide 
weight as the draft rises due to the 
unloading of cargo.

On the other hand, ballast water is 
discharged when loading cargo as the 
weight it provides is no longer needed.

 For MOL’s environmental data, please visit our website.

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/sustainability/environment/data/index.html

48

49

Issuance of Green Bonds and Sustainability Bonds

As initiatives to apply the world’s increasing awareness 
of the environment and the SDGs to our financing mea-
sures, in fiscal 2018 we issued ¥10 billion in Green 
Bonds*5 and in fiscal 2019, we issued ¥20 billion in 
Sustainability Bonds*6. We became the first company  
in Japan to have issued both Green Bonds and 
Sustainability Bonds not only to institutional investors 
but also to individual investors. 

*5  Funds raised with Green Bonds is to exclusively finance our green projects that 

are effective at improving the environment.

*6  Sustainability Bonds extend the usage of funds from Green Bonds, raised to 

projects that address issues related to resolving social issues.

Fund Allocation

(Billions of yen)

Project Name

Green Bonds

Sustainability Bonds

Ballast Water Treatment 
Systems

SOx Scrubbers 

LNG Bunkering Vessels 

LNG Powered Vessels

New PBCF

Others (other than green projects) 

Total

5.5

2.2

1.4

0.7

0.2

—

10.0

4.0

9.2

2.0

0.1

0.1

4.6

20.0

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
Innovation for Development in Marine Technology

The MOL Group is promoting technological development using ICT to achieve the 
following objectives: “Provision of ‘stress-free services,’ which it will offer from the 
customer’s perspective” (one of the three core strategies set to realize the MOL Group’s 
management vision), the further enhancement of tools to support safe operation, and 
the deeper reductions in environmental impact.

Basic Policy on Technological Innovation

The potential for technological development in the marine 
industry has expanded due to the rapid development of ICT, 
such as IoT and big data, in addition to progress on vessels’ 
tangible elements. We aim to anticipate the needs of 
customers and society by maximizing the potentials of 
marine transport-related technological development. 
These efforts are centered on the ISHIN NEXT—MOL 
SMART SHIP PROJECT, which commenced in 2016.

In fiscal 2020, we established the new position of chief 

digital officer to align our organizational structures and 
propel innovation. This officer’s role is to formulate digital 
marketing strategies and oversee implementation of 
measures. We will accelerate our innovation by 
continuing to step up alliances with various institutions 
outside our field of business.

Proactively promote ICT utilization in addition to  
technologies in conventional fields

Our Goals

Advanced technologies to support safer vessel operation 
—With a view to realizing autonomous sailing

New 

technologies in 

various fields

Safety  
and the 
Environment

ICT, e.g., big data 

utilization

Technologies that reduce negative environmental impact 
—For global environmental protection

Actively develop technologies to meet the needs of customers and society while 
inheriting the technological expertise MOL has cultivated thus far

1    Eliminate human error and achieve safer 

operation by leveraging automated technologies

Autonomous Sailing

2    Develop eco-ships powered by natural energy

Wind Challenger Project

3    Develop vessels powered by lower CO2  

emission alternative fuels

4    Expand the installation of operational  

data collection equipment in vessels and  
develop next-generation ship management  
support systems

LNG-Fueled Vessels
Vessels Using Other 
Alternative Fuels

FOCUS Project

5    Provide technological solutions for logistics service challenges

Topic1 

Release of a New FOCUS Project Application: “Fleet Performance”

The FOCUS Project involves collecting data at one-minute inter-
vals from around 10,000 sensors placed on individual ships so 
that we can visualize the condition of various elements of marine 
transport (such as hull, engine, cargo, surrounding ships, and 
ocean weather) and using such data for sophisticated monitoring 
of vessel operation and analysis of vessels’ propulsion capability. 
In so doing, the project aims to further enhance 
safe operation, improve operational efficiency, 
and help reduce environmental impact. The MOL 
Group is pursuing this project together with three 
other companies—Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., 
Ltd.; Weathernews Inc.; and NAPA Ltd.—going 
beyond the scope of its own industry. As of April 
2020, we had installed data collection equipment 
on 101 ships.

Voyage data 
recorder (VDR)

On Board

As a result, aberrations can be detected early, and appropri-
ate cleaning occasions can be set.

Going forward, we aim to expand applications that use 

accumulated operational data in various ways to provide 
transport services with greater safety and reduced environ-
mental impact.

Data Logger, IAS 
(engine and cargo 
data recording 
device)

Other sensors

Data collection 
equipment 
Fleet Transfer

Ship’s journal

ABLOG*1

Onboard photos 

and video

Integrated 
data platform

Sea weather  
information

On Shore

May 2019 Release  Part I

Fleet Viewer
Sharing operating vessels’ 
information at any location at  
sea and on land to enhance  
safe operation

February 2020 Release  Part II

Fleet Performance

August 2020 Release  Part III

Fleet Tour
Virtual Ship Visit Application

Personal 
computers

Smartphones
Tablets

February 2020 marked the release of Part 

II of this project: Fleet Performance. This 
application makes it possible to ascertain 
information about vessel performance that had 
previously been problematic, such as true ship 
performance (speed, fuel consumption, etc.) 
after excluding the effects of waves and wind. 
We expect such data to prove useful in compar-
ing same-type vessels and verifying the results 
of energy-saving devices. The application also 
allows the condition of the hull and various 
equipment, as well as the extent of propeller 
fouling, to be examined in real time.  

*1  ABLOG: The summarized version of a ship’s journal, providing a register of ports of call, time of arrival at and 

departure from ports, voyage duration, vessel location, speed, remaining fuel and lubricants, berthing periods, 
engine operating data, and other voyage-related information. Submitted by each vessel for each voyage.

Topic 2

Progress in Autonomous Vessel Operation Projects

The MOL Group is promoting initiatives aimed at making 
autonomous vessel operation a reality. Our goals are to 
increase safety in operation and reduce workloads for crew 
members. Rather than unmanned operation, currently we are 
working on systems that will support crew members by 

enabling autonomous vessel operation under certain condi-
tions. We are conducting joint development and demonstration 
on three areas corresponding to navigational steps (recogni-
tion, decision, and operation) which are respectively named 
FOCUS EYE, FOCUS BRAIN, and FOCUS GEAR.

Our Initiatives to Realize Autonomous Vessel Operation

Recognition

Decision

Operation

Augmented reality (AR) 
navigation system*2

Complete

Collision avoidance 
algorithm

Underway

Automatic avoidance 
system

Underway

Vessel image 
recognition and 
recording system*3

Bird’s-eye-view 
monitoring system*4

Underway

Underway

Automated berthing 
and unberthing system

Underway

Future Targets 
(2025 onward)

•  Automatic detection 
of other ships and 
obstacles

•  Automatic 

adjustment of  
route plans

•  Automatic avoidance

•  Automatic berthing 

and unberthing

•  Remote monitoring

*2 AR is used to show superimposed visual information on a display, such as information about other vessels obtained by radar and visual information from the bridge.
*3  AI (deep learning) technology is employed to recognize other vessels to a high degree of precision using a graphic recognition engine and ultrahigh-resolution cameras. The 

data is recorded automatically, and accuracy can be enhanced further by verification.

*4  Multiple fish-eye cameras are installed on a vessel’s mast, and the images they record are automatically combined to create an image as if looking down on the ship, which 

allows ascertainment of surrounding conditions at a glance.

FOCUS EYE 

FOCUS BRAIN

FOCUS GEAR

We have developed an AR navigation 
system and installed it on 19 of our 
ships, mainly car carriers and VLCCs.  
We have also installed a vessel image 
recognition and recording system on the 
cruise ship NIPPON MARU and a bird’s-
eye-view monitoring system on the 
tugboat ASAKA MARU. Demonstration 
test is underway on both vessels.

In December 2019, we launched a joint 
study on collision avoidance algorithms 
and autonomous avoidance with MOL 
Marine Co., Ltd.; the National Maritime 
Research Institute of National Institute of 
Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology; 
and Tokyo University of Marine Science 
and Technology. The joint study used a 
system to automatically calculate other 
vessels’ obstruction zones along a ship’s 
course heading. The aim is to establish  
a collision avoidance algorithm that will 
provide visualization of collision risks.

Between December 2018 and February 
2019, we conducted demonstrations of 
the automatic berthing and unberthing 
system, using the SHIOJI MARU, the 
training ship of the Tokyo University of 
Marine Science and Technology, and 
assessed the safety of the system 
through simulations. In addition, in 
February 2020 we began conducting 
tests using a coastal ferry, thus stepping 
up our efforts to make the system 
practical.

Topic 3 

Launching “Lighthouse,” a Service to Make Information on Marine Transport Visible

perspective, improving the service to provide more conve-
nience to our clients.

Making it Possible to Manage All Navigation-Related 
Information on a Single Platform

In January 2020, the MOL Group launched “Lighthouse,” a 
new information platform for dry bulker customers. In the 
past, we provided information related to marine transport—
ship schedules, weather, and ocean conditions, as well as 
cargoes and contracts data—separately. This was not always 
convenient for our customers. We developed Lighthouse after 
customer feedback uncovered their need to manage informa-
tion centrally. During the development process, we fielded 
numerous customer opinions and requests to allow custom-
ization for individual users and for data to be obtained in real 
time. With this platform, MOL aims to help its customers 
enhance their supply chain management through more effi-
cient ship allocation and more effective management of 
inventory, including that on ships.

At present, the service is limited to dry bulker customers, 

but it is already being used by clients from a variety of  
sectors, such as steel manufacturers and paper producers. 
We plan to continuously update the system from the user 

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For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
Human Resource Cultivation and Community Development

Human resources drive growth of the Group and underpin its brand and reliability.  
Based on MOL CHART, the values shared by all Group members worldwide, we will 
sustain this growth and establish a new competitive superiority by achieving real  
diversity management that fosters, promotes, and empowers personnel from many 
different backgrounds.

Furthermore, by providing training through in-house educational institutes and 
offering stable employment, we will secure highly competent crew members—who are  
indispensable for our operations—and contribute to the economic and industrial  
development of emerging countries.

Basic Policy on Human Resources Development

Challenges  
As the structures of the Company’s businesses become increasingly complex and employees’ career aspirations and 
work styles diversify, the human resources needed to implement the Company’s management and business strate-
gies are changing significantly in terms of both quality and quantity. To realize the profit level we are targeting over 
the medium term, it is crucial that we reform our organization and human resources to heighten the competitiveness 
of our organization.

Strategies 

1

2

3

Foster employees who have personal initiative, a sense of responsibility, the competence to 
play important roles in a global market, and the creativity to bring about change

Produce leaders who can set and pursue clear visions together with team members

Foster an organizational culture that encourages diverse personnel to generate creative ideas 
and take on challenges

Introduction of a New Personnel System

Reflecting the changes in the fields and nature of our 
businesses as well as changes in the values of work-
ers, we began operating a new personnel system in 
July 2018. The new system diversifies the range of 
career choices available to employees with the aim of 
the early development of management candidates and 
the fostering of specialists. Simultaneously, the system 
pushes towards maximizing employees’ performance 
by supporting self-directed career planning. In fiscal 
2020, the third fiscal year since the introduction of the 
personnel system, we will verify its effectiveness  
with the aim of making it even more practical.

The Aims of the New Personnel System
(1)  Early development and production of  

management personnel

Foster the next generation of management personnel at an early 
stage, identify potential leaders, and provide these talented person-
nel with opportunities to take the helm of organizations

(2) Diversification of career choices
Increase competitiveness by developing and securing both  

generalists and specialists

(3) Support for self-directed career development
Create organizations and systems that encourage each employee to 
become aware of their value and potential, make full use of their 
talents and expertise, and forge ahead with creative work

Promotion of Global Personnel Management

Employees of many different nationalities play active 
roles in our operations worldwide. With this in mind, 
we are establishing employee-friendly working  
environments that allow personnel to take maximum 
advantage of their abilities irrespective of national or 
regional backgrounds. We are also building a uniform 
system for the evaluation and assignment of personnel 
that transcends regional boundaries. In particular, our 
appointment of crew members to onshore duties is 
becoming more borderless. In an increasing number  

of cases, we are assigning captains, chief engineers, 
and other senior crew members of various nationali-
ties to onshore office duties, such as vessel manage-
ment and crew member training. With reference to 
such cases, we will continue promoting global person-
nel management Companywide through initiatives that 
include the One MOL Global Management College, 
which is explained in more detail below.

One MOL Global Management College  

Since 2014, we have been holding One MOL Global Management College annu-
ally with the aim of fostering “One MOL global executives” capable of conducting 
diversity management in the coming generation’s cross-cultural working  
environments. From all over the world, participants visit Japan to deepen their 
understanding of self-education, organization management, and leadership in 
globalized business situations. Furthermore, participants are split into teams, 
which discuss and analyze issues and future directions for the MOL Group and 
then offer recommendations to the Company’s senior management team. 
Approximately 60 employees have completed the program, which has been held 
six times to date. Some of those who have completed the program are currently 
working at our Head Office to establish new businesses based on recommenda-
tions submitted during the program. Through such efforts, we are steadily wid-
ening the pool of global executive candidates.

Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion

We view diversity as encompassing not only such 
superficial attributes as gender, nationality, and age 
but also each individual’s inner characteristics, includ-
ing experience, natural aptitudes, skills, and values. 
We will establish a new competitive superiority by cre-
ating working environments and an organizational 
culture that motivate employees worldwide to work 
enthusiastically and energetically and which encourage 
employees with different personalities and skills to 
work as a team. From fiscal 2020 onward, we will 
advance talent management that is even more focused 
on the quality of human resources. Specifically, we will 
build a system that increases our ability to assign the 
right people to the right jobs by identifying employees’ 
skills and experience as well as the requirements of 
each division in greater detail.

Further Empowerment of Female Employees
We believe that further empowerment of female 
employees is important for securing talented person-
nel and for reflecting diverse perspectives in the 
advancement of business activities, governance, and 
risk management. Accordingly, we are proactively 
moving forward with a range of initiatives based on  
an action plan prepared in March 2016 pursuant to  
the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and 
Advancement in the Workplace. For example, we have 
enhanced and expanded systems with a focus on child-
rearing support, increased career development sup-
port, and conducted activities to create networks 
among female employees.

  Please refer to page 15 for information on our number and 
percentage of women in managerial positions.

  For details on our employment of athletes and other specific measures and information related to diversity, please visit our website.

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/sustainability/hr/diversity/index.html

Introduction of a System for Proposing New Businesses

In fiscal 2019, we introduced a system for proposing 
new businesses, which encourages employees to take 
on challenging initiatives and develop  their careers  
in a self-directed manner. Under the new system, 
depending on the details of the proposal, employees 
present their ideas for new businesses or services to 
executives and/or the relevant person in charge within 
the Company. If a proposal is highly evaluated, the 
employees can transfer to the most relevant 

department and begin working on realizing the pro-
posal. Operating this system will cultivate a bold mind-
set among employees in accordance with the MOL 
CHART values as well as help meet our need to find 
new businesses that are not bound by the limits of 
conventional marine transport. In fiscal 2019, eight 
proposals were submitted. After review, four of these 
have advanced to the phase of being developed for 
commercialization. 

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53

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
Human Resource Cultivation and Community Development

Promotion of Work-Style Reform

We are tackling work-style reform to realize an organi-
zational culture that enables employees to work with 
vitality, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of our 
human resources and achieving innovation.
Our initiatives are based on the belief that in realizing 
our management vision we must establish an organi-
zation and culture that not only encourage employees 
to perform their duties in a highly efficient manner but 
also motivate employees to give concrete form to inno-
vative ideas.

Chaired by the president, the Work-Style Reforms 
Committee has led the advancement of specific mea-
sures focused on reforming four areas: the personnel 
system, corporate culture, workplaces, and productiv-
ity. One particularly successful result of these reforms 
is a pilot office in which employees freely choose where 
to sit and work, which we introduced in fiscal 2019. 
Verification has confirmed that the pilot office is pro-
ducing benefits across the board, including work-style 
flexibility, cross-divisional communication, and produc-
tivity enhancement. Moreover, thanks to measures we 
have been promoting to advance working from home 
and to reform work processes, in response to the 

COVID-19 pandemic more than 90% of our employees 
transitioned to working from home at the height of  
our telecommuting initiatives, and we have been able 
to continue business activities without hindrance.
  We will continue to enhance productivity and  
establish an employee-friendly working environment 
by forging ahead with work-style reform without  
being constrained by existing operational practices.

Monthly Hours of Overtime Work per Employee
(Hours)

Companywide
average

38.8

Down 5%

36.99

34.36

Average for
divisions relocated
to pilot office

Down 11%

30.58

Monthly average from
July 2018 to October 2018

Monthly average from
July 2019 to October 2019

*  “Hours of overtime work” refers to hours worked in excess of the Company’s 

regular working hours (seven hours per day) multiplied by the number of working 
days in a given month.

  For details on our initiatives related to work-style reform, please visit our website.

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/sustainability/hr/workstyle/index.html

Promotion of Health and Productivity Management

Ensuring the health and safety of employees and pro-
viding working environments where they can work with 
peace of mind is a prerequisite for business activities 
and the base for MOL’s sustained growth. Furthermore, 
maintaining and promoting the physical and mental 
health of all executives and employees is essential for 
dynamic, innovative organizations and for realizing 
vessel operations with the highest levels of safety in 
the world. Our Diversity and Healthcare Management 
Team leads the provision of a range of support and the 
establishment of environments that enable employees 
to maintain and improve their physical and mental 

health and work with enthusiasm and vitality. 
Reflecting high evaluations of these initiatives, for the 
second consecutive year MOL has received certification 
as one of the Outstanding Enterprises Engaging in 
Efforts for Health and Productivity Management in the 
large enterprise category (“White 500”) of the program 
jointly conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade 
and Industry and Nippon Kenko Kaigi.

  For details on our initiatives related to the promotion of health and productivity management,  
please visit our website.

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/sustainability/hr/health/index.html

Our Contribution to the Development of Local Communities Operating a Maritime Academy in the Philippines   

Since 2018, we have been operating one of the largest independent maritime academies 
in the Asia–Pacific region, MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy Inc. (MMMA), which is 
located in the Philippines. For many years, we have been actively fostering marine 
transport professionals in the Philippines under the Academia–Industry Linked 
Program, which is promoted by the Philippine government. By extending and developing 
these initiatives, MMMA will help the country’s students realize active, rewarding 
futures. MOL will proactively hire MMMA graduates as crew members with the aim of 
continuously training quality candidates for senior positions and thereby realizing vessel 
operations with levels of safety that are among the highest in the world. As of 2020, the 
third year since the academy’s establishment, a cumulative total of 573 students have 
enrolled at MMMA to study the knowledge and skills of marine transport professionals. 
MMMA graduates are expected to play important roles in the MOL Group as well as in 
the global marine transport sector.

Cumulative Number of 
MMMA Students

573

(As of June 2020)

MOL and Magsaysay Maritime 
Corporation, which jointly operate MMMA 
as partners, each plan to hire half of the 
graduates as crew members.

A Message from the Executive Officer Responsible for Diversity Promotion and the Human Resources Division

Since April 2019, I have been the executive officer responsible for 
Diversity Promotion and the Human Resources Division. With 
respect to diversity promotion, my task is to secure diverse talent 
and thereby further enhance our corporate value. As for the 
Human Resources Division, I focus on helping realize manage-
ment strategy by working in partnership with each business 
division to maximize employee motivation and to make optimal 
use of employees’ talents. In each of these capacities, my mission 
is to take concrete measures that will help sustain the growth of 
the MOL Group.

In order to accomplish this mission, the focus will be on 

optimizing our talent management and organization based on 
analysis of the MOL Group from a higher perspective. In doing so, 
not only will we focus on diversity with respect to such attributes 
as gender, nationality, and age but also experience, personality, 
skills, cultural background, and values. At the same time, I want 
to act as an intermediary between the senior management team 
and employees. My aim is to communicate the senior manage-
ment team’s views to employees while also providing the team 
with employee feedback.

Emphasized the Establishment of Forward-Looking Frameworks in Fiscal 2019 

At present, we are in the middle of crafting a new business model 
that reaches beyond conventional marine transport. These efforts 
are based on a management vision calling on us to “Become a 
Group of Business Units with No. 1 Competitiveness in Respective 
Areas.” A new personnel system was introduced in fiscal 2018 and 
a system for proposing new businesses began in fiscal 2019. 
These are some examples of frameworks set up to match MOL’s 
new business model and to realize the aforementioned manage-
ment vision.

One reason for creating the new personnel system was to 

diversify the range of careers we offer. This diversification is 
essential because the types of personnel that the Group needs are 
changing as it operates in a greater number of fields and regions 
and its business formats become more complex. Diversification  
of our career menu is also important because the attitudes of 
employees to careers are evolving in step with changes in social 
conditions and the job market. The new personnel system will 
help employees to make the most out of their abilities while 

respecting the priorities of each individual, thereby enabling them 
to develop their careers in an effective, self-directed manner.  
At the same time, the development of a workforce comprising 
personnel with diverse careers will enable each business division 
to acquire the human resources it needs.

Further, the system for proposing new businesses is expected 

to contribute significantly to the construction of a new business 
model. An emphasis on minimizing the risk associated with 
employee behavior has become part of our culture due to the 
nature of our mainstay marine transport business, where ensur-
ing safe operations is the first priority. When a company is creat-
ing new businesses and venturing into new business fields, 
however, it should place greater emphasis on speed and appetite 
for challenges and permit a certain amount of risk taking. 
“Challenge” is the first of the MOL CHART values. With this in 
mind, I want to reawaken and foster the DNA that has helped us  
to take on ambitious challenges and succeed.

Using Fiscal 2019 Achievements as the Basis for Further Evolution of Initiatives  

In fiscal 2019, we introduced a variety of systems. For all of  
these, high-quality management will be the key to their success. 
Accordingly, we will take steps to further refine the new systems by 
amending each of them so that it functions even more effectively. 
In conjunction with these steps, we will evolve talent management 
so that it better reflects the attributes of each individual, including 
their skills and values. In addition, plans call for the establishment 
of KPIs for diversity and other aspects of operations.

The large number of our employees who display a truly 
unstinting, committed attitude to their work gives me a sense  
of pride as the executive officer responsible for the Human 
Resources Division. In creating conditions more conducive to 
employees realizing their ideas and potential, there is no silver 
bullet. Rather, by implementing an array of measures under  
a cohesive plan, I want to enable growth among our precious 
employees and enhancement of the MOL Group’s corporate value.

Our human resources  
strategy will support a  
new MOL that reaches beyond 
conventional marine transport.

Junko Moro 
Executive Officer 
Responsible for Diversity 
Promotion and the Human 
Resources Division

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55

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
For Our Sustainable Growth
A Tripartite Discussion on Corporate Governance

Takeshi Hashimoto

Representative Director, 
Executive Vice President 
Executive Officer

Masaru Onishi

Outside Director

Akihiko Ono

Representative Director, 
Executive Vice President 
Executive Officer

A Tripartite Discussion  
on Corporate Governance

The outlook for the global economy remains uncertain 
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the significant 
effect that the pandemic is also having on the marine 
transport industry’s business environment, how is the 
MOL Group tackling near-term challenges? How will the 
Group advance governance to ensure sustained growth 
both during and after the pandemic? To consider such 
questions, Outside Director Masaru Onishi, 
Representative Director and Executive Vice President 
Executive Officer Takeshi Hashimoto, and Representative 
Director and Executive Vice President Executive Officer 
Akihiko Ono held a tripartite discussion in May 2020.

Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and 
Business Environment Changes

Ono  As well as having a major impact on the global 

economy and our business activities, the worldwide 
COVID-19 pandemic is a matter of life and death. Even 
in such a situation, the MOL Group’s mission is to con-
tinue providing stable transport services as these are 
essential to the world’s logistics. To enable us to con-
tinue business operations while preventing employees 
working on land and at sea from becoming infected,  
in February 2020 we launched the COVID-19 
Countermeasures Taskforce. As someone who over-
sees corporate divisions, I lead the taskforce. We have 
been deliberating and implementing countermeasures 
through the taskforce.

Onishi  I have seen up close how the MOL team—from 
senior management to employees in frontline opera-
tions—has promptly discussed and implemented coun-
termeasures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic 
and how the team is currently continuing to make vari-
ous improvements in the measures. That said, in this 
type of emergency, situations always arise that were 
not previously envisioned. Recounting the 2011 Great 
East Japan Earthquake, the former top official of the 
Tohoku Regional Bureau of the Ministry of Land, 
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, who was 
involved in the frontline response to the disaster,  
commented that, “Only the things prepared in advance 
were useful. By themselves, however, the things pre-
pared in advance were insufficient.” In other words, 
there is no such thing as being perfectly prepared. For 
this reason, MOL must draw on its recent experiences 
to enhance preparations for the future even further.
Aside from measures dealing with immediate issues, 
MOL also advanced discussions on revising the man-
agement plan.

Ono  Yes, that’s right. During fiscal 2019, we held 
extensive discussions on the fiscal 2020 management 
plan. By March 2020, we were close to fixing priority 
targets and strategies. However, recognizing that the 
subsequent spread of COVID-19 was likely to com-
pletely transform society and the business environ-
ment, we concluded that the management plan needed 
to be fundamentally reformulated. We resolved to 
create a revised roadmap showing how MOL should 
proceed both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hashimoto  In April 2020, we established the Rolling Plan 
Special Committee as a venue for revamping and 
making decisions on the management plan. As my 
responsibility is to preside over business divisions,  
I chaired the new committee. Our business environ-
ment had changed dramatically not only due to the 
pandemic but also because of a significant drop in the 
price of crude oil in March. However, the degrees to 
which and the ways in which these changes affected 
respective business segments were different. At the 
outset, the committee conducted an all-out effort focused 
on ascertaining the situation. In addition to conducting 
detailed analysis of individual business segments, com-
mittee members devoted a great deal of time to analyzing 
medium- to long-term mega-trends, which is essential 
for the establishment of business strategies.

for operational risks but also made a quick decision to 
revise management strategy. Moreover, these matters 
were discussed separately due to their totally different 
time frames.

Risk Management Befitting a New MOL

Hashimoto  In recent years, the MOL Group has advanced 
business strategies aimed at converting its business 
portfolio by concentrating the investment of manage-
ment resources on fields that both enable the Group to 
use its strengths to achieve differentiation and to gen-
erate stable profit. In the process of developing and 
implementing these strategies, I feel that common 
in-house criteria for risks that should be taken, and 
risks that should be avoided have become entrenched. 
Risks always accompany business investments. 
However, a culture of thoroughly discussing the minute 
details of these risks—such as their root causes, their 
probability of actualization, and our ability to cope with 
worst-case scenarios—has become firmly established 
throughout the Group. Inevitably, market conditions 
affect the performance of marine transport companies 
to some extent. Nonetheless, if we can base decisions 
on reasonable overviews of the correlation between 
our coping abilities and the risks that should be taken, 
we will be able to succeed more often than we fail.

Onishi  Although we have experienced the global reces-
sion triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 
2008, the effect on the real economy of the current 
crisis spread much more rapidly than then. I believe 
that in response to this huge, simultaneous impact  
that occurred worldwide, MOL took correct steps. The 
Company did not just implement immediate measures 

Ono  In the past, we gave weight to investment  
recovery ratio and return on investment (ROI) when 
evaluating investment propositions. However, as we are 
currently engaged in business fields beyond the  
traditional marine transport industry, we have added 
internal rate of return (IRR) and return on risk (ROR) as 
important indicators for investment evaluation and 

At MOL, senior management shares  
a clear understanding of the  
Company’s cause, in other words, for 
what MOL exists. This, in my view, is 
their most commendable attribute.

Masaru Onishi

Mr. Onishi was appointed as an outside director of MOL in June 2019. 
In 1978, he joined Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., where ultimately he was 
given overall responsibility for maintenance and safety. He has deep 
insight based on his experience as a corporate manager at the highest 
levels, which includes serving at Japan Airlines as representative 
director and president between 2011 and 2012, as representative 
director and chairman between 2012 and 2014, and as director and 
chairman between 2014 and 2018.

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57

MITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020A Tripartite Discussion on Corporate Governance

First and foremost, we must take  
defensive measures based on a  
correct understanding of the situation. 
However, advancing aggressive  
measures in anticipation of conditions  
both during and after the  
COVID-19 pandemic is also vital.

Takeshi Hashimoto

Mr. Hashimoto became a MOL representative director and 
executive vice president executive officer in April 2019. After 
joining MOL in 1982, he spent a large part of his career 
engaged in the LNG carriers and offshore businesses. 
Currently, as an executive vice president executive officer he is 
responsible for overall management, presiding primarily over 
the business divisions.

The Constant Evolution of Governance

Onishi  As a member of the advisory committees for 
nomination and remuneration, I believe that the great-
est advance related to governance in fiscal 2019 was 
the establishment of a succession plan for the presi-
dent. We held discussions that focused on three points: 
the credentials that a president of MOL should have, 
the establishment of a selection process, and ways of 
fostering candidates. I take pride in the fact that we 
have created one of the most progressive systems of 
its kind among Japanese companies. In addition, from 
fiscal 2019 we revamped systems so that outside Audit 
& Supervisory Board members were able to be non-
voting participants in the advisory committees. This 
contributed greatly to the liveliness of discussions.

Hashimoto  I also feel that discussions at meetings of the 
Board of Directors, the Executive Committee, and 
respective committees have become livelier. Aiming  
to arrive at better conclusions, participants exchange 
opinions that are franker and more heated than before.

Ono  The Board of Directors really has evolved to 
become more and more dynamic. The points that 

outside directors and outside Audit & Supervisory 
Board members make are quite critical on occasion, 
giving all of our discussions a healthy tension.

Onishi  In fiscal 2019, we concentrated on preparing  
the succession plan, and now I want to begin reforming 
the directors’ compensation system in fiscal 2020. 
Previously, MOL was a progressive company with 
respect to the development of governance systems. For 
example, it was one of the first to introduce a stock 
option system. However, given the further acceleration 
of discussions throughout society about optimal com-
pensation systems as well as the changes in MOL’s 
business fields in recent years, I think there is scope 
for changes that make the compensation more appro-
priate. Particularly important points for discussion are 
how to effectively incorporate long-term incentives into 
the compensation system and the proportion of fixed 
compensation and short-term and long-term incentives. 
While we have only just begun discussing the matter, 
over the next year or two I would like to establish  
systems that provide foundations suitable for the 
enhancement of MOL’s corporate value over the 
medium to long term.

conduct multifaceted management of investments 
accordingly. Looking back over the history of the indus-
try, almost all marine transport companies’ manage-
ment failures have resulted from excessive investment 
during favorable market conditions. To avoid repeating 
such mistakes, we have constructed a system that 
stipulates the total amount of risk that the entire Group 
can tolerate and then controls the amount of risk that 
it actually takes. Further, in the past two or three years 
we have developed an improved system for decisions 
on individual investments that enables evaluation of 
risk and return in a way that is consistent with macro-
level management of total risk. Through these systems, 
I believe that we are finally arriving at a desirable  
form of risk control that simultaneously enables safety 
and boldness.

Onishi  At the time of my appointment as an outside 
director, I honestly felt that MOL was avoiding business 
risk too much. This was because when senior manage-
ment was analyzing the risk and return of a new 
investment proposition, discussions tended to veer 
toward envisioning worst-case scenarios. Over the year 
since I was appointed, however, I feel that I have at last 
come to understand MOL’s approach to risk. I now see 
that senior management’s goal is to achieve a robust 
corporate structure first of all and to give priority to 
disciplined business management suited to MOL’s 
current growth phase.

Hashimoto  Having the ability to take both defensive and 
aggressive measures appropriately is, as you said, the 
ideal state of any truly robust entity. We have rebuilt 
our risk control system and taken measures to reduce 
our exposure to market conditions precisely because of 
the success in the 2000s and subsequent failure that 
we experienced. That said, it is important to make sure 
the experience of failure is not holding us back unduly.

Onishi  As Mr. Ono pointed out, the Company has made a 
good deal of progress in visualizing indicators, and 
backing up proposals with figures is indispensable. On 
the other hand, if it was possible to evaluate all corpo-
rate activities by quantifying them, business executives 
would not be needed. In my opinion, the greatest asset 
of MOL’s management decision-making process is that 
senior management shares a clear understanding of 
the Company’s cause, in other words, for what MOL 
exists. When determining the direction in which a  
company should proceed, it is important for the senior 
management teams to think deeply about how each 
direction relates to the company’s unique existential 
value and social mission. Thanks to the corporate cul-
ture MOL has fostered, when senior management is 
deciding to embark upon a new business, members 
state why the Group should be engaged in the business 
and how it relates to the Group’s cause and the matter 
is thoroughly discussed at Board of Directors’ meetings. 
I think this is an excellent state of affairs.

Thanks to our reforms in recent years,  
I believe that we are finally arriving  
at a desirable form of risk control  
that simultaneously enables safety  
and boldness.

Akihiko Ono

Mr. Ono was appointed as a MOL representative director  
and executive vice president executive officer in April 2020.  
He joined MOL in 1983 and served for many years in the 
Corporate Planning Division and the Containership segment. 
Currently, as an executive vice president executive officer  
he is responsible for overall management, presiding primarily 
over the corporate divisions.

58

59

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020Board of Directors, Audit & Supervisory Board Members, and Executive Officers 
(As of June 30, 2020) 

Junichiro Ikeda
Representative Director 
Born 1956

Takeshi Hashimoto
Representative Director 
Born 1957

Akihiko Ono
Representative Director 
Born 1959

Etsuko Katsu
Outside Director (Independent Officer) 

Masaru Onishi
Outside Director (Independent Officer) 

Kenji Jitsu
Audit & Supervisory Board Member 
Born 1960

Apr. 1979  Joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Jun. 2004 

 General Manager of Human 
Resources Division
 General Manager of Liner Division

Jun. 2007 
Jun. 2008  Executive Officer
Jun. 2010  Managing Executive Officer
 Director, Senior Managing 
Jun. 2013 
Executive Officer
 Representative Director, President, 
Chief Executive Officer (to present)

Jun. 2015 

Apr. 1982  Joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Jun. 2008 

 General Manager of LNG Carrier 
Division
 Executive Officer, General Manager 
of LNG Carrier Division

Jun. 2009 

Jun. 2011  Executive Officer
Jun. 2012  Managing Executive Officer
Jun. 2015 

 Director, Managing Executive 
Officer
 Director, Senior Managing 
Executive Officer
 Representative Director, Executive 
Vice President Executive Officer  
(to present)

Apr. 2016 

Apr. 2019 

Apr. 1983  Joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
 General Manager of Corporate 
Jun. 2010 
Planning Division
 Executive Officer, General Manager 
of Corporate Planning Division

Jun. 2011 

Jun. 2015  Managing Executive Officer
Apr. 2017  Senior Managing Executive Officer
Jun. 2018 

 Director, Senior Managing 
Executive Officer
 Representative Director, Executive 
Vice President Executive Officer  
(to present)

Apr. 2020 

Apr. 2003 

Jun. 2016 

Nov. 2016 

Apr. 2018 

Mar. 2019 

 Professor, School of Political 
Science and Economics, Meiji 
University (to present)
 Outside Director, Mitsui O.S.K. 
Lines, Ltd. (to present)
 Administrative Board Member, 
International Association of 
Universities (to present)
 Chairman of Fund Management 
Advisory Committee, The Japan 
Foundation (to present)
 Outside Director (Audit & 
Supervisory Committee Member), 
Dentsu Group Inc. (to present)

Apr.  2013 

Jun. 2015 

Jul.  2018 

Oct.  2018 

Jun. 2019 

Jun. 2019 

 Trustee, KEIZAI DOYUKAI (Japan 
Association of Corporate 
Executives) (to present)
 Trustee, International University of 
Japan (to present)
 Visiting Professor, Toyo University 
(to present)
 Advisor, Mitsubishi Heavy 
Industries, Ltd. (to present)
 Outside Director, Teijin Limited  
(to present)
 Outside Director, Mitsui O.S.K. 
Lines, Ltd. (to present)

Apr. 1984  Joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Jun. 2009 

Jun. 2013 

Jun. 2015 

Jun. 2017 

 General Manager of CSR and 
Environment Office, Corporate 
Planning Division
 General Manager of Investor 
Relations Office
 General Manager of Accounting 
Division
 Audit & Supervisory Board 
Member, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. 
(to present)

Takashi Maruyama
Representative Director 
Born 1959

Toshiaki Tanaka
Director 
Born 1960

Apr. 1983  Joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Jun. 2010 

 General Manager of Finance 
Division
 Executive Officer, General Manager 
of Finance Division

Jun. 2011 

Jun. 2015  Managing Executive Officer
Jun. 2017 

Apr. 2018 

Apr. 2020 

 Director, Managing Executive 
Officer
 Director, Senior Managing 
Executive Officer
 Representative Director, Senior 
Managing Executive Officer 
(to present)

Jun. 2014 

Apr. 1984  Joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
 General Manager of Iron Ore & 
Jun. 2011 
Coal Carrier Division
 Executive Officer, General Manager 
of Iron Ore & Coal Carrier Division
 Executive Officer
 Managing Executive Officer
 Director, Managing Executive 
Officer (to present)

Jun. 2015 
Apr. 2017 
Jun. 2020 

Hideto Fujii
Outside Director (Independent Officer) 

Jun. 2015 

Jun. 2016 

 Adviser, Sumitomo Corporation  
(to present)
 Outside Director, Mitsui O.S.K. 
Lines, Ltd. (to present)

Toshiaki Takeda
Audit & Supervisory Board Member 
Born 1964

Hideki Yamashita
Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member 
(Independent Officer)

Junko Imura
Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Member 
(Independent Officer)

Apr. 1986  Joined Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Jun. 2015 

 General Manager of General 
Affairs Division
 General Manager of Secretaries & 
General Affairs Division
 Audit & Supervisory Board 
Member, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. 
(to present)

Apr. 2018 

Jun. 2019 

Apr. 1982  Registered as an attorney at law
 Established YAMASHITA HIDEKI 
Apr. 1985 
LAW OFFICE (now YAMASHITA & 
TOYAMA LAW OFFICE) (to present)
 Outside Corporate Auditor, I-cell 
Networks Corp. (to present)
 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board 
Member, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. 
(to present)

Mar. 2012 

Jun. 2014 

Aug. 1994 

Sep. 2015 

Jul.  2018 

Jun. 2019 

Dec. 2019 

Jun. 2020 

 Registered as a certified public 
accountant
 Visiting Professor, Tama Graduate 
School of Business (to present)
 Established Imura Accounting 
Office (to present)
 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board 
Member, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. 
(to present)
 Outside Audit & Supervisory Board 
Member, T. HASEGAWA CO., LTD. 
(to present)
 Outside Director, Audit and 
Supervisory Committee Member, 
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking 
Corporation (to present)

60

61

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020Board of Directors, Audit & Supervisory Board Members, and Executive Officers

Corporate Governance

Executive Officers

Corporate Governance for Sustainable Growth and Enhancement of Corporate Value

Junichiro Ikeda
President, Chief Executive Officer

Kenta Matsuzaka
Managing Executive Officer

Director General, Energy Transport 
Business Unit, Responsible for; Energy 
Business Strategy Division, LNG Carrier 
Division, LNG Marine Technical & Ship 
Management Strategy Division

Masato Koike
Managing Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Energy 
Transport Business Unit, Responsible 
for; Bunker Business Division,  
Tanker Division

Yutaka Hinooka
Managing Executive Officer

Director General, Product Transport 
Business Unit, Responsible for; Port 
Projects & Logistics Business Division

Toshinobu Shinoda
Managing Executive Officer

Chief Communication Officer, 
Responsible for; Corporate Planning 
Division, Corporate Communication 
Division

Hirofumi Kuwata
Managing Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Dry Bulk 
Business Unit, Deputy Director General, 
Energy Transport Business Unit, 
Responsible for; Steaming Coal & 
Renewable Energy Project Division, Ferry 
and Associated Business Division (Except 
for Ferries and Coastal RoRo Business)

Nobuo Shiotsu
Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Dry Bulk 
Business Unit, Responsible for; Work 
Efficiency Improvement, Iron Ore and 
Coal Carrier Division

Atsushi Igaki
Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Product 
Transport Business Unit, Responsible 
for; Ferry and Associated Business 
Division (Ferries and Coastal RoRo 
Business)

Hiroyuki Nakano
Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Energy 
Transport Business Unit, Responsible 
for; Offshore Gas Project Division, 
Offshore Project Division

Takeshi Hashimoto
Executive Vice President Executive 
Officer

Assistant to President Executive Officer 
(Mainly for business divisions), 
Supervisor for Human Resources 
Division, Responsible for; Europe and 
Africa Area

Akihiko Ono
Executive Vice President Executive 
Officer

Assistant to President (Mainly for corpo-
rate divisions), Chief Compliance Officer, 
Chief Information Officer, Deputy 
Director General, Safety Operations 
Headquarters, Deputy Director General, 
Technology Innovation Unit, Responsible 
for; Regional Strategy for Japan, The 
Americas Area, Refreshing Organization, 
Enhancing Group Management, 
Secretaries & General Affairs Division, 
MOL Information Systems, Ltd.

Takashi Maruyama
Senior Managing Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer, Responsible for; 
Corporate Communication Division (IR), 
Finance Division, Accounting Division

Yoshikazu Kawagoe
Senior Managing Executive Officer

Chief Technical Officer, Director General, 
Technology Innovation Unit, Responsible 
for; Technical Division, Smart Shipping 
Division, Secondarily Responsible for 
MOL Information Systems, Ltd.

Koichi Yashima
Senior Managing Executive Officer

Responsible for; Asia, the Middle East 
and Oceania Area, Managing Director of 
MOL (Asia Oceania) Pte. Ltd.

Toshiaki Tanaka
Managing Executive Officer

Chief Environment and Sustainability 
Officer, Director General, Dry Bulk 
Business Unit, Responsible for; Dry Bulk 
Business Planning & Co-ordination 
Division, Secondarily Responsible for 
Corporate Planning Division (Mainly for 
Environment Strategy and Sustainability 
Promotion)

Masanori Kato
Managing Executive Officer

Chief Safety Officer, Director General, 
Safety Operations Headquarters, 
Responsible for; Human Resources 
Division, Marine Safety Division, 
Secondarily Responsible for Smart 
Shipping Division

Hirotoshi Ushioku
Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Product 
Transport Business Unit, Responsible 
for; Car Carrier Division

Kazuhiko Kikuchi
Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Dry Bulk 
Business Unit, Responsible for; Bulk 
Carrier Division, Wood Chip Carrier 
Division

Junko Moro
Executive Officer

Responsible for; Diversity Promotion, 
Human Resources Division

Mitsuru Endo
Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Safety 
Operations Headquarters, Responsible 
for; Marine Technical Management 
Division, LNG Marine Technical & Ship 
Management Strategy Division, 
Secondarily Responsible for Marine 
Safety Division, Smart Shipping Division

Osamu Sakurada
Executive Officer

General Manager of Port Projects & 
Logistics Business Division

Akira Sasa
Executive Officer

Deputy Director General, Energy 
Transport Business Unit, Secondarily 
Responsible for Tanker Division (Mainly 
for Product Tanker and Chemical Tanker 
Business)

Ryusuke Kimura
Executive Officer

Chief Digital Officer, Assistant to Chief 
Information Officer, Deputy Director 
General, Technology Innovation Unit, 
Deputy Director General, Product 
Transport Business Unit, Responsible 
for; Corporate Marketing Division, Liner 
Business Management Division

Kyoya Nitta
Executive Officer

General Manager of Offshore Gas Project 
Division

MOL greatly shored up its management structure around 
2000. Taking a lead position among Japanese companies at 
that time, MOL established an advanced and highly transpar-
ent corporate governance structure by, for example, inviting 
outside directors and introducing an executive officer system. 
The business environment surrounding the marine transport 
business and its risk factors change rapidly. In order to navi-
gate through such a difficult situation, we must accurately 
grasp our business environment, always confront risks appro-
priately, and effectively utilize management resources in a 

Governance Summary (As of June 30, 2020)

careful balance of offense and defense. We believe that the 
essentials of corporate governance are fostering sustainable 
growth and increasing corporate value by making decisions 
swiftly and boldly, guided by appropriate risk management, 
while ensuring the transparency and fairness of management 
and carefully considering the viewpoints of our diverse stake-
holders. Based on this belief, we will make continuous efforts 
to promote our level of corporate governance.

Our Key  
Progresses  
in 2019

• Formulation of a President and CEO succession plan
•  Participation of outside Audit & Supervisory Board members on the 

Nomination Advisory Committee and the Remuneration Advisory Committee 
as non-voting members

•  Reduction of strategic shareholdings

Governance System

Total Directors

Company with an Audit & 
Supervisory Board

8 
Including outside directors (ratio) 
3 (37.5%)

Total Audit & Supervisory 
Board Members

4 
Including outside members (ratio) 
2 (50%)

Independent Officers  
(Directors and Audit & Supervisory 
Board Members)

5

Percentage of Female 
Directors

12.5% (1 out of 8)

Number of  
Board Meetings Held

Attendance Rate of Outside 
Directors for Board Meetings

10 
(Fiscal 2019)

100% 
(Fiscal 2019)

Term of Directors

1 year

Nomination Advisory Committee

Remuneration Advisory Committee

Chair of committee: Etsuko Katsu (outside director)
Number of members: 4
Percentage of outside directors: 75%
Number of meetings: 6 (Fiscal 2019)

Chair of committee: Masaru Onishi (outside director)
Number of members: 4
Percentage of outside directors: 75%
Number of meetings: 5 (Fiscal 2019)

Performance-Based 
Compensation

Stock Option System

Yes

Yes

Retirement  
Benefit System

No

President Succession  
Plan

Strategic Shareholdings as a 
Percentage of Net Assets

Anti-Takeover  
Measures

Yes

8.0%  
(including unlisted stocks)  
(as of March 31, 2020)

No

62

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For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance Structure

MOL has established a corporate governance system that maximizes shareholder profits through the most appropri-
ate allocation of management resources, with higher transparency of corporate management.

Corporate Governance Organization (As of June 23, 2020)

General Shareholders’ Meeting

Elect and appoint / dismiss

Elect and appoint / dismiss

Business audit / 
Accounting audit

Board of Directors (Total: 8)

Outside directors: 3 

Internal directors: 5 

Accounting 
audit

Audit & Supervisory Board
(Total: 4)  Outside members: 2
Internal members: 2

Audit & Supervisory Board 
Manager

Elect and 
appoint / 
dismiss

Chairman

Male

Female

Accounting Auditors

Elect and 
appoint / 
supervise

Elect and 
appoint / 
supervise

Submit basic management 
policies and other issues 
for discussion

Executive Committee (Total: 10)

President

Directors / Executive officers: 5
Executive officers: 5

Report

Report

Nomination Advisory  
Committee (Total: 4)

Outside directors: 3 

Internal directors: 1 

Remuneration Advisory  
Committee (Total: 4)

Outside directors: 3 

Internal directors: 1 

Submit to Executive Committee  
after preliminary deliberations

Provide direction 
on important 
business issues

Submit for discussion and / or report on 
important business and other issues

Committees under the Executive Committee
STEER Committee, Investment and Finance Committee, Operational 
Safety Committee, Compliance Committee, Rolling Plan Special 
Committee, and Environmental Management Committee

Instruction

Audit plan / 
Audit Report

Executive Officers (Total: 24)

Submit for discussion and / or report 
on important business and other issues

Collaborate with Audit 
& Supervisory Board 
members and 
Accounting Auditor

Directors / 
Executive officers: 5

Executive officers: 19

Divisions / Branches / Vessels / Group companies

Business audit / Accounting audit

Corporate Audit Division

Major Organizations

Name

Board of Directors

Audit & Supervisory 
Board

Nomination Advisory 
Committee and 
Remuneration 
Advisory Committee

Executive Committee 
and Committees under 
the Executive 
committee

Details

As the Company’s highest-ranking decision-making body, the Board of Directors discusses and decides on basic policies and the most important 
matters connected with MOL Group management. At MOL, out of the three hours scheduled for every Board of Directors’ meeting, one hour  
is allotted to “Deliberation on Corporate Strategy and Vision.” For this deliberation, a theme is selected related to our management strategy, 
long-term vision, or management in general, providing the opportunity for free exchange of opinions including outside directors and outside 
Audit & Supervisory Board members. Since fiscal 2018, we have also held “Board Member Discussion Sessions” at appropriate intervals follow-
ing Board of Directors’ meetings to facilitate the early-stage sharing and discussion of important issues that have not reached the stage of 
official board agenda.

The Audit & Supervisory Board draws up audit plans and reports and shares audit results. All Audit & Supervisory Board members attend 
meetings of the Board of Directors, and full-time members also attend Executive Committee and other committee meetings to audit the delib-
eration and decision-making processes. By combining the information held by the full-time members and the high level of specialized expertise 
of the outside members, MOL has created a system that ensures the active exercise of authority from an objective standpoint.

Under the Board of Directors, MOL has created the Nomination Advisory Committee and the Remuneration Advisory Committee as discretionary 
organizations. Both committees comprise three outside directors and the Company president, chaired by an outside director. The Nomination 
Advisory Committee focuses on the selection and dismissal of directors and executive officers. The Remuneration Advisory Committee focuses 
on the remuneration of directors and executive officers, including incentives for contributing to long-term enhancement of corporate value. Each 
committee discusses these matters from an objective standpoint.

Within the scope of the basic policy approved by the Board of Directors, MOL transfers a significant amount of authority to conduct businesses to 
the Executive Committee. This helps to expedite decision-making on individual matters. Six committees exist under the Executive Committee to 
study and deliberate particularly important matters which are brought to the Executive Committee, as well as cross-divisional propositions.

Main Agenda Items for Each Advisory Committee in Fiscal 2019

Nomination Advisory Committee (held 6 times)

Remuneration Advisory Committee (held 5 times)

President and CEO succession planning

Outside Audit & Supervisory Board member participation in the 
Nomination Advisory Committee as non-voting members

Election of directors and executive officers for fiscal 2020 

Bonus for directors for fiscal 2018 and monthly remuneration for  
directors for fiscal 2019

Outside Audit & Supervisory Board member participation in the 
Remuneration Advisory Committee as non-voting members

Director and executive officer compensation plans

and other matters

and other matters

Main Agenda Items for the Board of Directors’ “Deliberation on Corporate Strategy and Vision” in Fiscal 2019 

Month

Agenda

Month

Agenda

July LNG carrier business strategy

December Latent customer needs and digitalization

September

ICT strategy

January MOL’s Corporate Principles

October Direction of Rolling Plan 2020

February Overall summary of Rolling Plan 2020

Appointment and Dismissal Procedures of Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members 

The MOL Group has set up the Nomination Advisory 
Committee in order to improve objectivity and transparency in 
selection procedures for directors and Audit & Supervisory 
Board members and also to strengthen accountability.  
The committee selects the candidates based on its set of 
standards and submits a report to the Board of Directors. 
From fiscal 2019, outside Audit & Supervisory Board members 
also began attending committee meetings  as non-voting 
members so they could understand the deliberation process 
and express their opinions.

The Board of Directors nominates the candidate directors 
and Audit & Supervisory Board members, taking into account 
reports submitted by the Nomination Advisory Committee. 
Candidates for Audit & Supervisory Board members are sub-
mitted to the Board of Directors after gaining the consent of 
the Audit & Supervisory Board.

Expected Expertise and Attributes for Directors

Standards for appointing directors

a)  Personnel who are able to contribute to enhancement of 
the enterprise value of the Company based on a wealth 
of experience and knowledge

b)  Personnel who are able to make management decisions 
globally from a broad-ranged perspective and foresight

c)  Personnel with high ethical standards and solid  

common sense

Standards for appointing Audit & Supervisory Board members

a)  Personnel who have an appropriate set of experience, 

qualification, ability, and expertise

b)  Personnel who possess a high degree of financial and 

accounting knowledge (more than one member) 

Corporate 
management

Finance

Strategy and 
marketing

Global business

Risk manage-
ment and 
compliance

ESG

Government 
agency or 
research 
institution

Junichiro Ikeda
Representative Director

Takeshi Hashimoto
Representative Director

Akihiko Ono
Representative Director

Takashi Maruyama
Representative Director

l
a
n
r
e
t
n
I

Toshiaki Tanaka
Director

Hideto Fujii
Outside Director  
(Independent Officer)

e
d
i
s
t
u
O

Etsuko Katsu
Outside Director  
(Independent Officer)

Masaru Onishi
Outside Director  
(Independent Officer)

Up to four areas of particularly expected expertise for the respective director.
(The chart above does not indicate all the knowledge or expertise each director possesses.)

President and CEO Succession Plan

To appoint a president and CEO (hereinafter referred to as 
the “president”) who is eligible for the company in a timely 
and appropriate manner, MOL has formulated a succession 
plan for the president that contains requirements, the 
appointment procedures, and a cultivation plan for 

successor candidates. The Nomination Advisory Committee 
will deliberate on a plan for the next president (including 
the re-appointment and dismissal of the incumbent presi-
dent) based on the succession plan and submit it to the 
Board of Directors.

64

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For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
Corporate Governance

Assessment of Board of Directors’ Effectiveness

Method of Computing Compensation for Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members 

MOL assesses and analyzes the effectiveness of its Board of Directors by conducting a self-assessment questionnaire 
each year and deliberating the results at a Board of Directors’ meeting. We strive to enhance Board of Directors’ 
effectiveness by ascertaining issues through this process and formulating improvement measures. 

Director Compensation

Basic Policy on Design of the Remuneration System

Conducting 

Effectiveness 

Assessments

Schedule
Overview explanation of the  
procedure to directors: Late April  
(at a Board of Directors’ meeting)

Main Items in the Self-Evaluation Questionnaire
••  Composition of the Board of Directors

••  Quality of discussions and appropriateness of  

risk management

Implementation of questionnaire: Early May

••  Effectiveness of discussions pertaining to management plan

Deliberations based on questionnaire results:  
Late May

••  Management of “Deliberation on Corporate Strategy and Vision”

Assessment Results 

in Fiscal 2019

After an assessment, it was concluded that the 
Board of Directors was composed appropriately 
and operated with a sufficient level of effective-
ness. In particular for fiscal 2019, newly intro-
duced summary sheets that organize the 
outlines and issues of agenda items further 
enhanced the productivity of discussions. The 
“Board Member Discussion Sessions” intro-
duced in fiscal 2018 have become an estab-
lished practice, and were highly acclaimed to 
have facilitated early-stage sharing and discus-
sion of important issues that had not yet 
reached the board agenda. To further enhance 
effectiveness, there were some constructive 
opinions on which agenda items to take up and 
their time allocation. Opinions were also raised 
on the importance of focused discussions on 
medium- to long-term strategies correspond-
ing to changes to the business environment due 
to COVID-19 and global economic trends 

post-COVID 19. These points were recognized 
as issues to tackle going forward.

Number of Agenda Items and Average 
Deliberation Time at Board of Directors’ Meetings

(Number of agenda items) 

(Minutes)

80

60

40

20

0

By narrowing down the number of items to be 
discussed at meetings, we increased  
deliberation time per item.

12.0

61

6.7

56

6.8

8.2

43

FY2017

FY2018

FY2019

9.0

6.0

3.0

0.0

  Number of agenda items resolved (left) 
  Average deliberation time per agenda item (right)

Directions for  

Fiscal 2020

Taking into consideration the issues recognized during the fiscal 2019 assessment, in the next fiscal 
year the Board of Directors will work on improvements in three areas aiming to further enhance its 
effectiveness. These areas are (1) prioritizing agenda items to be discussed at Board of Directors’ 
meetings, (2) reviewing the meeting outlines (number of meetings and their duration), and (3) inventing 
ways to make discussions more effective, such as organizing points of issues and improving explana-
tion methods.

Initiatives to Ensure the Functions of Outside Directors and Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Members

Support systems

•  •  Providing orientations on MOL Group’s business at the time of 

assuming office

Examples of activities of outside directors and outside Audit & Supervisory 
Board members (Fiscal 2019)

•  •  Lectures and discussions at training sessions for executive officers, 
liaison meetings of group Audit & Supervisory Board members, etc.

•  •  Prior explanation by documents or meeting on the Board of 

•  •  Attendance at the long-service award and family day event for 

Director agenda items before each meeting 

Filipino seafarers (the Philippines)

•  •  On-site visits to MOL-operated vessels as part of MOL’s safety 

operation campaign

and others

• •  Observation of MOL Group companies' operation

Policy on Strategic Shareholdings

MOL holds shares in companies with which it has important business relationships and close cooperative relation-
ships, including business alliances, for the purpose of enhancing the growth and corporate value of the company over 
the medium to long term by maintaining and strengthening these relationships. For the shares held by the Company, 
the rationality of holding them, such as the adequacy of the purpose and the profitability in light of the cost of capital, 
are reported to the Board of Directors individually every year. Following a comprehensive verification, shares that  
do not have adequate reasons to be kept are gradually reduced. As the result of the reduction of shares under this 
policy, the ratio of strategic shareholdings to net assets* had been reduced to 8.0% (7.0% if only listed stocks are 
counted) as of March 31, 2020. 
* The total balance sheet amount of investment securities held for purposes other than pure investment as a percentage of consolidated net assets

••  The remuneration system shall give incentives for improving corporate value sustainably.
••  Remuneration shall be at a sufficient level for securing human resources, with reference to companies in the same industry or companies of the 

similar size. 

••  The system shall be linked with business performance giving incentives for reaching performance goals, and achievement rate on the  

Company’s strategic items shall be evaluated qualitatively.

••  Remuneration shall employ objective and transparent procedures, drawing on decisions made by the Board of Directors based on the findings of  

the Remuneration Advisory Committee, the majority of which consists of outside directors, chaired by an outside director.

Composition of Remuneration

Remuneration for MOL’s directors consists of fixed monthly remuneration, performance-based cash bonus, and stock options. The composi-
tion ratio below is for a model case based on the assumption that the target of around ¥80.0 to ¥100.0 billion in ordinary profit is achieved. 

Item

Component

Composition 
ratio

Details

Fixed 
Remuneration

Monthly 
Remuneration

65%

• • An amount of remuneration is determined for each director depending on their responsibilities.
•  •  A fixed amount is paid monthly in cash.

Variable 
Remuneration

Performance-
Based 
Compensation 
(Bonuses)

•  •  The level of performance of the entire Company’s business results is determined based on achievement of perfor-

mance goals set forth in the management plan, in consideration of dividend payout ratios and qualitative achievement 
of goals.

30%

•  •  Bonus is determined by the base amount for each position according to the level of performance of the entire 

Company’s business results, and additional individual compensation depending on the results of a division in charge. 
(No lower limits)

• • A variable amount is paid in cash every June. 

Stock Options

5%

•  •  Aims to give incentives for sustainably improving corporate value and sharing value with shareholders even further
•  •  The exercise period is from the day marking two years past the grant date to the day marking 10 years past the grant date.
•  •  Provided every August based on the position of each director

Indicators for Performance-Based Compensation (Bonuses)







•  •  Consolidated ordinary 

•  •  Level of achievement of the budget 

profit (loss)

set at the beginning of the fiscal year

Achievement of specific measures for the following strategic items is considered*.
(1)  Concentrated investment of management resources in the business fields where MOL 

•  •  Profit (loss) attributable 

•  •  Capital efficiency ratio

has strengths, which will mainly be offshore businesses

to owners of parent
•  •  Dividend payout ratio

(2)  Provision of stress-free services which MOL will provide from the customer’s perspective
(3)  Promotion of environmental strategy and development of the emission-free business 

into a core business

* For details, please refer to the overview and state of progress on Rolling Plan 2020 on pages 18 to 21. 

The Board of Directors and the Remuneration Advisory 
Committee engaged in deliberation a total of three times with 
regard to bonuses for fiscal 2019 and monthly remuneration for 
fiscal 2020. In fiscal 2019, ordinary profit and profit attributable 
to owners of parent substantially surpassed the previous fiscal 
year’s levels and the annual dividend per share was increased 
year on year. This performance was sufficient to consider 

paying the directors increased bonuses than in the previous 
fiscal year. However, with the global economy entering a sharp 
downturn due to the spread of COVID-19, cargo volumes have 
stalled and shrunk, making the outlook extremely uncertain. 
Given these circumstances, for fiscal 2019 the company paid 
directors 0.5 months’ remuneration as a bonus. 

Compensation for Audit & Supervisory Board Members

Compensation for Audit & Supervisory Board members is determined after discussion with the Audit & Supervisory Board within 
the limits approved at the General Shareholders’ Meeting, with consideration given to whether an Audit & Supervisory Board 
member serves in a full-time capacity or not, the amount of auditing work assigned, and the levels of director compensation. 
Bonuses and stock options are not provided to Audit & Supervisory Board members.

Compensation for Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members (Fiscal 2019)

Category

Number of  
people 

Total remuneration, by type (millions of yen) 

Monthly remuneration

Bonuses

Stock options 

Total compensation  
(millions of yen)

Directors (excluding outside directors)

Audit & Supervisory Board members  
(excluding outside members)

Outside directors and outside Audit & Supervisory 
Board members

6

3

7

261

64

51

11

―

1

13

―

2

287

64

55

The abovestated amounts include compensation paid to one internal director, one internal Audit & Supervisory Board member,  one outside director and one outside Audit & Supervisory 
Board member who stepped down during fiscal 2019.

66

67

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
Compliance

 For more detailed information on compliance-related matters, please visit our website. 

https://www.mol.co.jp/en/corporate/compliance/index.html

Compliance Framework

In 2014, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) found 
that the MOL Group had violated Article 3 of the 
Japanese Antimonopoly Act in certain car carrier ship-
ping trades. The MOL Group has taken measures to 
reinforce its compliance efforts, including ongoing 
training, to ensure that the importance of compliance 
—as the major premise of all corporate activities—is 

etched deeply into the minds of all executives and 
employees, and make it the linchpin of decisions in 
daily business operations.

The Compliance Committee, chaired by the chief 
compliance officer, convenes every three months and 
conducts regular monitoring. Case examples are also 
disclosed within the Company.

Executive Committee

Compliance Committee

Chief Compliance Officer

Report and / or consult

Feedback

Diversity and Healthcare 
Management Team,  
Human Resources Division

Mental Health and Healthy 
Lifestyle Hotline

(Harassment)

Compliance Officers
(General Managers)

External Compliance 
Advisory Service Desk
(Outside attorney)

Person reporting or seeking consultation on an issue

General Manager  
of Corporate  
Audit Divisions

Investigate 
and report

Internal Compliance 
Advisory Service Desk
(Corporate Audit 
Division)

Compliance Policy

The MOL Group has established a Compliance Policy 
as the basis for achieving compliance. Article 5 of the 
Policy sets down individual standards of conduct to be 
applied to the Company’s executives and employees as 

they pertain to various stakeholders. The Policy also 
establishes the compliance roles and responsibilities 
of each organization and officer and how to deal with 
violations. 

Compliance Advisory Service Desks

The MOL Group has established internal and external 
compliance advisory service desks available in Japanese 
and English. These service desks can be used by officers, 
employees, and temporary staff of MOL and its Group 
companies. In fiscal 2019, there were 27 reports and 
consultations. The external advisory service desk is 
entrusted to an outside attorney to run. The attorney 
transmits reports and consultations received to the 
Compliance Committee and continues to serve as a 

liaison between the Company and people submitting 
reports or seeking consultations. Both service desks 
keep reports and consultations strictly confidential and 
ensure that personnel, including those cooperating 
with an investigation, are not treated unfairly. We also 
welcome compliance-related inquiries through our 
website from external parties, including customers  
and suppliers both domestic and international. 

Initiatives to Comply with Antitrust Laws and Prevent Corruption

The MOL Group takes rigorous measures to ensure compliance with the Antitrust Act and prevent corruption. We have an 
Antimonopoly Act Compliance Code and an Anti-Corruption (anti-bribery) Policy, as well as a Do’s & Don’ts Guide, which 
provides a set of more specific guidelines. We also implement a range of training sessions to keep all employees informed 
by providing them with overviews and points to note in relation to domestic and international laws and regulations.

Anti-Corruption Policy

E-Learning

Lectures for Executives  
and Employees

Organizational Culture 
Questionnaire

As stated in its Compliance Policy, to ensure the building of good relationships based on trust with customers and contractors,  
MOL established the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines’ Anti-Corruption Policy in October 2015. This policy eliminates bribery and excessive business 
entertaining of public servants as well as those outside the government in Japan and overseas.

MOL holds continuous e-learning sessions covering antitrust and competition acts, anti-corruption (anti-bribery), internal control, and ICT 
governance. In fiscal 2019, we had an average participation rate of 94.1% in these sessions.

Employees are required to attend lectures on antitrust law upon reaching new position levels, and we also hold lectures on anti-bribery.

To engender an organizational culture with “self-cleansing” capabilities in relation to compliance violations, we conduct a biannual organi-
zational culture questionnaire survey of our employees. Each department head uses the survey to ascertain the issues in their departments 
and make improvements. 

Social Responsibility

Supply Chain Management 

MOL procures vessels from shipyards (owned vessels) 
as well as other ship owners (chartered vessels). Given 
that marine vessels are the lifeblood of our business, 
we apply the MOL Safety Standard Specifications to 
both owned and chartered vessels (with the exception 
of short-term charters) to make the equipment of all 
vessels under our control live up to certain standards 
and keep our Standard Specifications constantly 
updated to ensure their effectiveness. During the con-
struction of our owned vessels, we send supervisors to 
the shipyard to keep a close on-site watch on building 
quality. These supervisors work with shipyard masters 
and safety management officers to check the situations 
of sites and identify risk factors for worker injuries and 
fire outbreaks, requesting improvements if necessary. 
  When we sell off our vessels, in cases when the 
buyer intends to dismantle the vessel, we bind them to 
use a demolition yard that has third-party certification 
(from ClassNK) stating that the yard meets all pre-
scribed safety, environmental, and labor standards and 
complies with the Hong Kong International Convention 
for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of 
Ships*. We also manage the dismantling process by 
requiring detailed reports of the work. 

As described above, even before the delivery of a 
new vessel from a shipyard or a ship owner as well as 
in stages after the disposal of a vessel, we are actively 
involved to ensure safety, reduce environmental 
impact, and improve labor conditions of workers.

  We also follow the MOL Group Basic Procurement 
Policy when purchasing any product or service, includ-
ing vessels.

MOL Supply Chain

In the case of owned vessels

In the case of chartered vessels

Shipbuilder

Ship owner

Vessel 
construction 

Vessel 
chartered

Redelivery

MOL (as ship owner)

MOL (as charterer)

Sale of vessel

Demolition yard

MOL Group Basic Procurement Policy

The MOL Group procures goods and/or services in accordance 
with the following basic policy:
1.  We comply with applicable laws, regulations and social norms, 
and pay due consideration to the protection of the environment.

2.  We procure goods and/or services, including the delivery or 

execution of such goods and/or services, that meet high safety 
standards.

3.  We conduct fair trade, and endeavor to establish trusting 

relationships with contractors.

We work to make sure that our contractors understand our Basic 
Procurement Policy, with the aim of contributing toward the 
realization of sustainable societies together.

*  The convention was adopted by the IMO in May 2009 to ensure the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. As of August 2020, the convention has not yet gone into 
effect as it is still in the process of being ratified by some countries. The convention requires vessels to prepare, record, and update inventory lists showing the quantity and 
location of hazardous materials within the ship’s structure. It also establishes the conditions required of ship recycling facilities (demolition yards). Ahead of the convention’s 
enforcement, MOL has already established rules for demolition yard selection pursuant to the convention.

Human Rights

In 2005, MOL became the first Japanese shipping com-
pany to participate in the United Nations (UN) Global 
Compact. We express our support for, and practice of, 
universal principles regarding human rights and labor, 
and we have published a statement on our website in 
line with the UK Modern Slavery Act of 2015. Our code 
of conduct, which ensures compliance by our officers 
and employees also includes an article on “Respect  
for human rights and prohibition of discrimination or 
harassment.” This article codifies and demands com-
pliance with rules on respect for human rights, ban-
ning of discrimination, understanding of different 
cultures and customs, and prevention of harassment.

Initiatives to Safeguard the Human Rights of Our Crews
MOL adheres to the four fundamental rights of seafar-
ers stipulated under the Maritime Labour Convention 
2016: (1) freedom of association and the effective recog-
nition of the right to collective bargaining; (2) the elimi-
nation of all forms of forced or compulsory labor; (3) the 
effective abolition of child labor; and (4) the elimination 
of discrimination in respect of employment and occupa-
tion. Our internal maritime compliance policy also pro-
hibits discrimination and establishes procedures for 
dealing with complaints about harassment. 

Awareness Campaigns
To instill thorough awareness of human rights, MOL 
holds lectures on human rights as part of its Head Office 
stratified training. The Company also holds harassment 
prevention lecture sessions as part of pre-orientation 
for personnel before they are assigned to positions in 
Group companies, etc., in Japan or overseas.

10 Principles of the UN Global Compact

Human 
Rights

Labor

Environment

1.  Business should support and respect the protection of 

internationally proclaimed human rights; and

2.  Make sure that they are not complicit in human  

rights abuses.

3.  Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and 

the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

4.  The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor;

5.  The effective abolition of child labor; and

6.  The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment 

and occupation.

7.  Businesses should support a precautionary approach to 

environmental challenges; 

8.  Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental 

responsibility; and

9.  Encourage the development and diffusion of environmen-

tally friendly technologies.

Anti-Corruption

10.  Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, 

including extortion and bribery.

68

69

For Our Sustainable GrowthMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
Financial and Non-Financial Highlights

MOL ADVANCE

GEAR UP! MOL 

RISE 2013

STEER FOR 2020

ROLLING PLAN

2010/3

2011/3

2012/3

2013/3

2014/3

2015/3

2016/3

2017/3

2018/3

2019/3

2020/3

(Millions of yen)

¥1,347,964

¥1,543,660

¥1,435,220

¥1,509,194

¥1,729,452

¥1,817,069

¥1,712,222

¥1,504,373

¥1,652,393

¥1,234,077 

¥1,155,404

1,228,478

1,328,959

1,368,794

1,432,014

1,587,902

1,683,795

1,594,568

1,388,264

1,513,736

1,094,915

1,035,771

98,546

20,939

24,234

27,776

12,722

(40,055)

93,428

(133,483)

88,366

91,300

123,400

121,621

90,885

(24,459)

(24,320)

92,946

(15,766)

(28,568)

100,458

41,092

54,985

116,024

17,249

51,330

115,330

2,323

36,267

113,551

2,558

25,426

115,972

22,684

31,473

95,366

(33,516)

(137,938)

71,710

58,332

(154,385)

23,303

(28,709)

58,277

46,970 

181,755

(134,785)

77,445

(26,009)

(178,846)

(129,298)

5,014

(25,285)

78,955

(134,312)

(104,240)

85,624

94,685

57,393

(25,615)

94,255

42,356

(66,656)

92,494

(119,870)

(159,150)

83,983

87,803

(170,447)

182,508 

209,189

(26,681)

92,771

5,257

(56,318)

17,623

(73,941)

87,190

(47,380)

(2,471)

98,380

(100,851)

(198,341)

(107,250)

86,629

90,138

87,765

101,442

37,718

38,574

46,778

26,875

(143,093)

55,248

95,852

23,779

55,090

47,130

32,623

(6,527)

100,723

¥1,861,312

¥1,868,740

¥1,946,161

¥2,164,611

¥2,364,695

¥2,624,049

¥2,219,587

¥2,217,528

¥2,225,096

¥2,134,477

¥2,098,717

1,209,175

1,257,823

1,293,802

775,114

735,702

659,508

724,259

740,247

660,795

869,619

717,909

637,422

1,303,967

1,046,865

619,492

535,422

1,379,244

1,094,081

783,549

679,160

1,498,028

1,183,401

892,435

782,556

1,376,431

1,044,980

646,924

540,951

1,323,665

1,122,400

683,621

571,983

1,290,929

1,118,089

628,044

511,242

1,193,910

1,105,873

651,607

525,064

1,201,698

1,096,685

641,235

513,335

For the year

Shipping and other revenues

Shipping and other expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Operating profit (loss)

Ordinary profit (loss)

Income (loss) before income taxes and  
non-controlling interests

Profit (loss) attributable to owners of parent

Free cash flow [(a) + (b)]

Cash flows from operating activities (a)

Cash flows from investing activities (b)

Depreciation and amortization

At year-end

Total assets

Total tangible fixed assets

Interest-bearing debt

Net assets

Shareholders’ equity

Amounts per share of common stock*1

Profit (loss) attributable to owners of parent (Yen)

¥  106.30

¥  487.50 

¥ (217.60)

¥(1,495.70)

¥  479.90 

¥  354.20 

¥(1,425.00)

¥   43.95 

¥ (396.16)

¥  224.72 

¥  272.79

Net assets (Yen)

5,517.01

5,528.30

5,332.70

4,477.60

5,679.00

6,542.60

4,522.80

4,782.25

4,274.81

4,390.39

4,292.31

Cash dividends applicable to the year (Yen)

30

100

50

0

50

70

50

20

20

45

65

Management indicators

Gearing ratio (Times)

Net gearing ratio (Times)

Equity ratio (%)

ROA (%)

ROE (%)

Dividend payout ratio (%)

1.18

1.05

35.4

1.3

2.0

28.2

1.10

1.00

35.4

6.5

8.8

20.5

1.36

1.23

32.8

(1.3)

(4.0)

―

1.96

1.58

24.7

(1.4)

(30.5)

―

1.61

1.35

28.7

2.4 

9.5 

10.4

1.51

1.35

29.8

2.1 

5.8 

19.8

1.93

1.64

24.4

1.5 

(25.8)

―

1.96

1.64

25.8

1.1 

0.9 

45.5

2.19

1.82

23.0

1.4 

(8.7)

―

2.11

1.88

24.6

1.8

5.2

20.0

2.14

1.94

24.5

2.6

6.3

23.8

CO2 emissions of MOL Group*2 fleet (Thousand tons)

Number of MOL Group*3 employees

18,708

9,707

20,073

9,438

19,660

9,431

18,876

9,465

17,810

10,289

18,803

10,508

18,676

10,500

18,203

10,794

17,774

10,828

16,369

8,941

15,304

8,931

Note: Rounded down to the nearest ¥1 million
*1  The Company consolidated every 10 shares into 1 share effective October 1, 2017. Accordingly, figures have been calculated as if the consolidation of shares had been con-

ducted at the beginning of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010.

*2 Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and its primary Group companies
*3 Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and its consolidated subsidiaries

70

71

Data SectionMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020The MOL Group’s Global Network

Information Disclosure and External Recognition

One MOL Network for Global Information Strategy

Promoting Information Disclosure and Engagement

—Utilizing Information across Divisions, Countries, and Regions—

Regional Representative, Europe, Africa: UK

Chief Country Representative:  
Turkey, Germany, Mozambique

Regional Representative, North America, 
Central America & the Caribbean: USA

Chief Country Representative: Mexico

Regional Representative, Asia, 
Middle East, Oceania: Singapore

Chief Country / Regional 
Representatives: China, Taiwan, 
India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, 
Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, 
Thailand, Vietnam, UAE, Australia, 
Hong Kong

  United Kingdom

Headquarters: Japan

Dry Bulk Business Unit
Energy Transport Business Unit
Product Transport Business Unit
Corporate Marketing Division
Administrative Divisions

  Japan

  Singapore

Regional Representative, South 
America: Brazil

Chief Country Representative: Chile

  United States  
of America

MOL considers the timely and accurate disclosure of  
management and financial information to be a matter  
of great importance and endeavors to be accountable to  
shareholders and investors. Further, we provide feedback 
from shareholders and investors to management.

A distinguishing feature of our investor relations (IR) 
activities is that the president is directly involved in their 
implementation. In fiscal 2019, based on the belief that the 
leader of the management team himself should directly 
explain the Company’s future strategies, the president  
continued to conduct presentations of interim and full-year 
business results and participated actively in meetings with 
domestic and overseas investors.

The Company is also mindful of the need for full and fair 

disclosure. In releasing its quarterly financial results, the 
Company discloses financial highlights in Japanese and 
English on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s TDnet while also 
posting financial results presentation materials in both 
languages on the Company’s website. Update notices for 
such information is emailed to domestic and overseas 
 investors at their request. MOL also offers information on 

management strategy, investment plans, market conditions, 
and other topics through its website.

As advocated by Japan’s Corporate Governance Code, 

MOL proactively engages in constructive dialogues with 
institutional investors. Moreover, feedback on the content of 
discussions with investors and analysts is provided to man-
agement in a timely manner and utilized to enhance corpo-
rate value. MOL will continuously bolster the quality and 
quantity of its communications while remaining mindful  
of the fair disclosure rules enforced in April 2018.

The fulfillment of accountability is not limited to provid-
ing management and financial information. The Company 
holds regular drills on responding to the media in emergen-
cies to establish capabilities for timely, appropriate disclo-
sure and endeavors to ensure prompt disclosure—including 
potentially negative information, such as that on accidents.

Going forward, MOL will continue taking measures to 

enhance trust in its business policies and management 
through close communication and engagement with a wide 
range of stakeholders.

IR Activities in Fiscal 2019

IR Materials (Available on MOL’s website)

Activity

Frequency

Details

Material

Japanese English

For securities 
analysts and 
institutional 
investors

For overseas 
institutional 
investors

Business performance 
presentations

4 times Quarterly results / forecasts

Stock exchange filings  
(financial highlights, etc.)

President’s small 
meetings

4 times Held for analysts in Japan

Overseas investor road 
shows

4 times Twice in Europe, twice in Asia

Business performance  
presentation materials  
(including summaries of Q&A sessions)

Integrated report

Securities reports ("Yuho")

Conferences held by 
securities companies

1 time

Attended conferences in Japan and held 
individual meetings

Quarterly reports

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

For individual 
investors

Corporate presentations 
for individual investors

2 times

Attended seminars for individual investors  
in Tokyo and Osaka, once in each city

Business reports for shareholders

Yes

No*

Investor guidebook

Market data

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

*  Translation for reference and convenience purpose only  

is available.

  Headquarters & Chief Executive Representatives
  Chief Country / Regional Representatives
  Group company (50% stake or more) offices

  Brazil

External Recognition

Countries and Regions with Group Offices (As of June 30, 2020)

Europe / Africa

Asia / Middle East / Oceania

North America / Central 
America / The Caribbean

UK

Italy

Poland

Russia

Japan

Singapore

Republic of Korea

Vietnam

Qatar

UAE

Netherlands

Turkey

Denmark

Algeria

China

Taiwan

Malaysia

Myanmar

Australia

New Zealand

USA

Canada

Mexico

Panama

Germany

France

Belgium

Czech 
Republic

Ghana

Kenya

Republic of 
South Africa

Mozambique

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Thailand

Sri Lanka

Bangladesh

Philippines

Oman

South America

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

THE INCLUSION OF MITSUI O.S.K. LINES, LTD. IN ANY MSCI 
INDEX, AND THE USE OF MSCI LOGOS, TRADEMARKS, SERVICE 
MARKS OR INDEX NAMES HEREIN, DO NOT CONSTITUTE A 
SPONSORSHIP, ENDORSEMENT OR PROMOTION OF MITSUI 
O.S.K. LINES, LTD. BY MSCI OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES. THE 
MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI 
AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES AND LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS 
OR SERVICE MARKS OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES.

72

73

Data SectionMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Glossary (In alphabetical order)

Shareholder Information

  Chemical Tankers

 Market Exposure 

Tankers fitted with multiple tanks to transport many different types 
of liquid chemical cargo at the same time. These tankers have 
complex design specifications, as they are equipped with indepen-
dent pipelines, cargo pumps, and temperature-regulating functions 
for each tank, in addition to dedicated facilities for cleaning and 
other features.

  Ethane Carriers

Ethane carriers are specialized for transporting liquefied ethane, 
which is cooled to -92°C, and equipped with a reliquefaction system. 
LNG carriers transport cargo at -162°C, and LPG tankers transport 
cargo at -42°C, so ethane carriers fall somewhere between the two.

 FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading System)

A floating facility for producing oil and gas offshore. The oil is stored 
in tanks in the facility and directly offloaded to shuttle tankers for 
transport to the shore facility.

 FSRU (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit)
 FSU (Floating Storage Unit)

An FSU is a floating facility for storing LNG offshore. An FSRU  
has the same structure as an FSU with an additional function for 
regasification of LNG onboard, with which it can send out vaporized 
natural gas to land through a pipeline. FSRUs and FSUs are being 
adopted for a growing number of projects to establish LNG receiving 
terminals all over the world because of their advantages, including
a shorter lead time and lower costs compared to conventional 
onshore receiving terminals.

 Highly Stable Profits

Profits that are stably generated by contracts of two years or more, 
and projected profits from highly stable businesses. Highly stable 
profits are currently provided by the following: Dry bulkers, Tankers, 
and LNG carriers / Offshore businesses under medium and long-
term contracts (two years or more); Real estate and Tugboats.

 IMO (International Maritime Organization)

A United Nations specialized agency that promotes intergovernmen-
tal cooperation on technical and legal issues affecting international 
shipping, such as maritime safety, navigation efficiency and preven-
tion of marine pollution. It also creates a regulatory framework for 
the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted, 
and universally implemented.

  LNG Carriers

Tankers designed for the transportation of liquefied natural gas 
(LNG). To transport LNG which has been cooled to -162 °C, LNG 
carriers make use of a wide variety of technologies in various ship 
parts, including specialized tanks that can withstand extremely cold 
temperatures and emergency shut-off devices to prevent accidents 
in cargo operation. 

If vessels procured for the medium- and long-term (owned or 
medium- and long-term chartered vessels) operate only under 
short-term cargo transport contracts, these vessels are exposed to 
market rate fluctuations as a result of the mismatch between the 
vessel procurement and operating periods. MOL defines the number 
of medium- and long-term procured vessels operating under cargo 
contracts of less than two years as “market exposure,” and monitors 
its ratio with the aim of controlling the risk of market fluctuation.

 NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) 

A freight forwarder that provides ocean or air freight services for 
consignors using the services of third-party marine transport com-
panies, airlines, and other transport providers.

 Pool

Arrangements where ship operators and owners pool certain ships 
together to conduct joint operations.

 RoRo (Roll-on / Roll-off) Ships

Ships that are equipped with a ramp like ferries and have a vehicle 
deck to hold trucks, trailers, and other vehicles. Cranes and other 
loading equipment are not used in loading; instead, vehicles are 
driven onto the ship. In general, while ferries transport passengers 
and personal-use automobiles in addition to freight vehicles, RoRo 
ships mainly transport freight vehicles.

  Small- and Medium-Sized Bulkers

Panamax, Handymax, and Small handy dry bulkers that mainly 
transport general bulk cargo, such as coal, grain, salt, cement, and 
steel products.

  SOx

The term “SOx” collectively refers to sulfur oxide emissions, includ-
ing sulfur dioxide (SO2), which are air pollutants emitted during the 
combustion of fossil fuels containing sulfur, such as oil and coal. In 
the marine transport industry, regulations requiring a drastic reduc-
tion in the sulfur content of fuel came into effect in 2020, in order to 
curtail the amount of SOx in vessel emissions.

 Subsea Support Vessels

Vessels designed for installation and maintenance of subsea facili-
ties during exploitation of offshore oil and gas fields.

  TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure) 

A disclosure framework specializing in climate-related information. 
It encourages companies to disclose the financial impact climate 
change has on their business.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations Team

Corporate Communication Division

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.

1-1, Toranomon 2-chome, Minato-ku, 
Tokyo 105-8688, Japan

MAIL  iromo@molgroup.com

WEB  https://www.mol.co.jp/en/

Capital

Head Office

¥65,400,351,028

1-1, Toranomon 2-chome, Minato-ku,  
Tokyo 105-8688, Japan

Number of MOL employees

1,078

Number of MOL Group 
employees (The parent  
company and consolidated 
subsidiaries)

8,931

Total number of shares 
authorized

315,400,000

Number of shares issued

120,628,611

Number of shareholders

83,403

Shares listed on

Tokyo Stock Exchange

Share transfer agent 
(Contact information)

Communication materials

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited
Stock Transfer Agency Business Planning 
Department
8-4, Izumi 2-chome, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 
168-0063, Japan

MOL Report (English / Japanese)
Investor Guidebook (English / Japanese)
Market Data (English / Japanese)
Website (English / Japanese)

(As of March 31, 2020)

Stock Price (Tokyo Stock Exchange) and Volume of Stock Trade

Fiscal 2017

Fiscal 2018

Fiscal 2019

High   

Low   

 ¥4,170
 ¥2,891

High   

Low   

 ¥3,490
 ¥2,163

High   

Low   

 ¥3,155
 ¥1,487

(¥)
5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

4
5
2017

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

1
2
2018

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

1
2
2019

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

1
2
2020

3

4

5

6

7

8

Note:  The Company consolidated its common shares on the basis of one (1) unit for every ten (10) shares effective October 1, 2017. Figures for April–September 2017 are 

calculated on the assumption that the consolidation of shares was conducted at the beginning of fiscal 2017

40

30

20

10

0

(Million shares)
50

74

75

Data SectionMITSUI O.S.K. LINES     MOL REPORT 2020