MOL and Tokyo Gas plan to install Wind Challenger on newbuild LNG carrier

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and compatriot Tokyo LNG Tanker, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Gas, have agreed to install MOL-developed Wind Challenger wind-assisted ship propulsion systems on a newbuild LNG carrier.

Under the agreement, two Wind Challenger systems with heights up to 49 meters and widths of about 15 meters will be installed on the 174,000 cubic meter (cbm) ship that will go on a long-term charter to Tokyo LNG Tanker.

The vessel will be constructed by Hanwha Ocean in South Korea, with delivery expected in 2026.

According to MOL, this will be the world’s second Wind Challenger to be installed on an LNG carrier. With its telescopic sail, the wind-assisted ship propulsion system is expected to help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The shipping company signed its first agreement to install Wind Challenger on a newbuild LNG carrier with Chevron Shipping Company, a subsidiary of energy company Chevron, in September 2024. The vessel in question is under construction at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje Shipyard and is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

So far, two bulk carriers equipped with MOL’s Wind Challenger system have been delivered and seven more that will be operated by MOL Drybulk are scheduled for delivery.

Among the seven vessels to be equipped with wind propulsion systems, six new bulkers will each be equipped with one Wind Challenger. Construction contracts have already been signed with Oshima Shipbuilding for three of the six vessels, and preparations are underway for construction contracts for the remaining three vessels.

The recent report by marine NGO Seas At Risk identified significant economic and climate benefits of using wind-assisted propulsion to power global shipping.

The ‘Wind First!’ study shows that retrofitting sails on large, existing vessels can save close to half a million US dollars on fuel costs, and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 12%, annually.