MOL secures approval from ClassNK for WAPS-equipped CO2 carrier

Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has secured an approval in principle for a liquefied CO2 carrier fitted with wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS) from Japanese classification society ClassNK.

IMAGE: Illustration of a liquefied CO2 carrier equipped with WAPS. MOL

The approval applies to a vessel design featuring a 40,000 cbm cargo tank capacity, intended for the cross-border transportation of liquefied CO2, and equipped with three hard-sail wind-assisted propulsion units.

The hard-sail system converts wind energy into propulsive force using telescopic sails that can be extended vertically, with capabilities for automatic extension, retraction, and rotation.

The design has been jointly developed with South Korean shipbuilding company Samsung Heavy Industries and is aimed at lowering fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by harnessing wind power during CO2 transport.

Applying this technology to liquefied CO2 carriers could reduce GHG emissions generated throughout the CO2 transportation process within the carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain, contributing to a further reduction in environmental impact, according to MOL.

Earlier this month, MOL partnered with power generation company Electric Power Development (J-Power) to retrofit a coal carrier with a wind-assisted propulsion system.

By Tuhin Roy

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