MITSUI O.S.K. Lines has been granted an approval in principle by ClassNK for the design of an LNG-fuelled carrier that is also fitted with a wind-assisted propulsion system.
The design, which has been jointly developed by MOL and Hanwha Ocean Co., a South Korean shipbuilding company, will see a vessel fuelled with liquefied natural gas and fitted with two Wind Challenger hard sails.
In an announcement made on Friday (2 August), the approval in principle is claimed by MOL as the worlds’ first approval for an LNG carrier with a wind propulsion system.
MOL said the LNG carrier that obtained the AiP is capable of entering LNG terminals worldwide, and features a cargo tank capacity of 174 000 cubic metres.
The design work is currently underway for the new carrier ordered by MOL from Hanwha, aiming for actual installation.
A risk assessment was conducted by MOL, Hanwha, and ClassNK that comprehensively evaluated factors such as the placement of the sails, their impact on visibility, emergency operation procedures, and other safety measures, leading to the obtaining the AiP.
The French company that designed the vessel’s cargo tank, Gaztransport & Technigaz, conducted an evaluation of the impact on the cargo tank due to installation of the two hard sails, which contributed to obtaining the AiP, said MOL.
Gaztransport subsequently confirmed that the structural safety of the tank is sufficiently ensured, even when considering the stresses imposed by the sails.
The new carrier design is in line with MOL’s goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and part of their plan to achieve this includes “introduction of clean energy, further energy-saving technologies”.
The group plans to launch 25 vessels equipped with the Wind Challenger by 2030 and 80 vessels by 2035.
