Over the course of about 18 months since the Shofu Maru’s delivery in October 2022, MOL has measured the performance of the Wind Challenger continuously on actual voyages, and confirmed that the Wind Challenger sail reduced daily fuel consumption by up to 17%, and by 5% to 8% per voyage on average.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)’ owned and operated Shofu Maru, the world’s first coal carrier equipped with the Wind Challenger hard sail wind propulsion system, has completed a total of seven round-trip voyages to Japan, mainly from Australia, Indonesia, North America, as a dedicated coal transport vessel for Tohoku Electric Power.
MOL has set the target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 in the MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2. Among the main actions to achieve this target is the introduction of further energy-saving technologies, and the group plans to launch 25 vessels equipped with the Wind Challenger by 2030, increasing to 80 by 2035.
The MOL Group has accumulated extensive operational technologies through the safe management and efficient operation of an environmentally friendly fleet that combines wind propulsion technology, such as the Wind Challenger. The MOL group will continue to advance its utilization of natural energy while ensuring safety, not only to reduce GHG emissions from its own activities but also to contribute to the decarbonization of society as a whole.
Photo credit: MOL. The Wind Challenger-equipped coal carrier Shofu Maru underway with the sail in operation.
