Worlds first hard sail on LNG carrier

The Wind Challenger, developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding, will be installed on board the MOL Encean newbuild which will be long-term chartered by Chevron Asia Pacific Shipping.

“We’re proud to partner with MOL in Wind Challenger’s industry-first LNG installation,” said Barbara Pickering, president of Chevron Shipping Company.

“This is another example of using novel approaches in hard-to-abate sectors to reduce carbon intensity in our LNG fleet.”

The carrier is under construction at the Geoje Shipyard of Hanwha Ocean Co. and is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

In August 2024, MOL obtained an approval in principle from ClassNK, a first for an LNG carrier with a wind-assisted ship propulsion system. The Chevron chartered vessel will be the first application.

Installation position is key on membrane-type LNG carriers to ensure that the mooring arrangement is unaffected. In addition to the design of Wind Challenger itself, additional safety measures include a fully enclosed navigation bridge and a lookout station on the vessel’s foredeck to safeguard visibility.

The first installation of the Wind Challenger was in 2022 on board the 100,000 dwt coal carrier, Shofu Maru. This was followed earlier this year by Green Winds, a 63,896 dwt Ultramax bulk carrier.

“Achieving GHG reduction in the maritime transport of LNG, which is increasingly in demand worldwide as a transition fuel, is a very important mission for us,” said Takeshi Hashimoto, president and CEO of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.

“This project will undoubtedly be a significant milestone towards achieving ‘net zero GHG emissions by 2050’, a medium to long-term goal of the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group, as stated in our ‘Environmental Vision 2.2’.”