MOL to install wind-assisted propulsion system on LNG carrier

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has partnered with Tokyo LNG Tanker, a subsidiary of gas distribution company Tokyo Gas, to install wind-assisted propulsion systems on an LNG carrier.

PHOTO: Illustration of the LNG carrier equipped with two hard sails. MOL

The vessel will be equipped with two hard sails—developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding—that harness wind energy to help power the ship, reducing its reliance on traditional fuel.

Currently being built at the Geoje Shipyard in South Korea by Hanwha Ocean, the LNG carrier is expected to be delivered in 2026 under a long-term charter with Tokyo LNG Tanker.

MOL noted that two bulk carriers, Shofu Maru and Green Winds, already use the same wind propulsion technology, with seven more vessels scheduled for delivery in the coming years.

By Tuhin Roy

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