MOL marks installation of Wind Challenger hard-sail propulsion system on in-service coal carrier

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has announced MOL and Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. have installed the Wind Challenger — a hard-sail wind propulsion system — on the Kurotakisan Maru III, a coal carrier supplying J-Power operations. This achievement marks the world’s first retrofit installation of the Wind Challenger on a vessel currently in service. This is MOL's third Wind Challenger-equipped vessel, following the coal carrier Shofu Maru and the 64,000-DWT Ultramax bulk carrier Green Winds. The Kurotakisan Maru III berthed at the Tachibanawan Thermal Power Station on April 13, and at the Ishikawa Coal-Fired Power Station on April 17.

The Kurotakisan Maru III has drawn attention in the shipping industry for contributing to decarbonization while fulfilling a vital role in energy transport that supports local communities. It received a warm welcome from local stakeholders upon arrival at its unloading ports. The vessel is scheduled to operate on a long-term contract to transport thermal coal from overseas to multiple regions where J-Power operates power plants and related facilities.

MOL has set the target of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 in the “MOL Group Environmental Vision: BLUE ACTION 2035 Phase 2.” One of 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.