Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines said on Thursday that it concluded a syndicated “transition loan” to fund the construction of Japan’s first two LNG-fuelled ferries.

The Sunflower Kurenai and Sunflower Murasaki, each of them capable of carrying 714 passengers, are under construction at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Shimonoseki shipyard.

Upon delivery in December 2022 and March 2023, the pair will operate between Osaka and Beppu.