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Hard sail completed for the ‘Wind Challenger Project’

Hard sail completed for the ‘Wind Challenger Project’
A Wind Challenger with shortened hard sail (photo courtesy MOL).

In Japan, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd have announced the completion of the hard sail system jointly developed under the "Wind Challenger Project" at the Oshima shipyard.

MOL has been promoting the Wind Challenger Project to harness the wind as a propulsive force for merchant ships.

The additional propulsion power from wind can reduce a vessel’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by an estimated five percent on a Japan-Australia voyage, and by about 8 percent on a Japan-North America West Coast voyage, compared to conventional ships of the same class.

An aerial view of the Wind Challenger hard sail extended
The Wind Challenger hard sail in extended mode (photo courtesy MOL).

The hard sail will be installed on a bulk carrier currently under construction at Oshima Shipbuilding after shoreside tests.

The vessel is slated for delivery this fall after sea trials and is engaged in the transport of cargoes for Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.

MOL set out its plan to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 through concerted group-wide efforts in “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1“.

The company will contribute to reducing GHG emissions from society at large, and realize a low-carbon and decarbonized society by proactively participating not only in this project but also by establishing clean energy supply chains.

It will also “move assertively to promote wind-related businesses including the Wind Challenger-developed hard sail.”

About The Wind Challenger Project

The Wind Challenger Project started in 2009 with the “Wind Challenger Plan,” an industry-academia joint research project led by the University of Tokyo. Since 2013, the team has been chosen to receive a subsidy on next-generation marine environment-related technology research from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.

In January 2018, MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding took charge of the plan and now play a central role in this project.

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