MOL Secures Class Approval for World’s First Wind-Assisted LNG Carrier Design

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has achieved a significant milestone by receiving approval in principle (AiP) from classification society ClassNK for the design of an LNG carrier equipped with a Wind-Assisted Propulsion System. The design, developed in collaboration with major South Korea shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean, marks the world’s first approval for such a system on an LNG carrier.

The design, featuring features two Wind Challenger sails measuring 49-meters-tall by 15m-wide, boasts a cargo tank capacity of 174,000 cubic meters (CBM) and is designed to access LNG terminals globally. Detailed design work is currently in progress for a new LNG carrier ordered by MOL from Hanwha Ocean, with plans for actual installation.

A comprehensive risk assessment by MOL, Hanwha Ocean, and ClassNK, covering sail placement, visibility, emergency procedures, and safety measures, led to the successful acquisition of the AiP. Gaztransport et Technigaz SA (GTT), the designer of the vessel’s cargo tank, has also confirmed the structural safety of the tank from the stresses imposed by the sails.

MOL aims to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050 through clean energy and energy-saving technologies, planning to launch 25 Wind Challenger-equipped vessels by 2030 and 80 by 2035.

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