Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, announced that, through a joint venture ship-owning company with Itochu Corporation, charter agreements have been signed with E.ON Global Commodities SE, a wholly owned subsidiary of E.ON SE. The joint venture also signed a deal with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd.'s shipyard in Korea to build maximum of two new 179,900m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers to be able to fulfil the contractual requirements to EGC.

MOL will manage the two new vessels, which will transport LNG from a shale gas liquefying plant in North America to Europe and other destinations around the world.

EGC is the energy trading arm of E.ON SE, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. As the commercial hub for E.ON SE to the international wholesale markets, it sources, stores, transports, markets and trades energy commodities on a global scale. The company also owns and operates a pipeline infrastructure business, which supports gas supply and trading activities, and an unbundled gas storage business.

With decades of experience and know-how, and a network developed as the world's leading LNG carrier owner and management company, MOL continually meets customers' diverse LNG procurement needs. The MOL Group's safe, reliable, and competitive LNG transport service plays an essential role in achieving "solid growth through innovation," as set forth in the midterm management plan STEER FOR 2020.