Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has secured approval in principle (AiP) from a Lloyd’s Register (LR) for two new different designs of a membrane-type LNG carrier equipped with four units of Wind Challenger, a hard sail wind assisted propulsion system.
The AiP covers a new vessel design, for a 174,000 m3 LNG carrier, jointly developed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).
Each design will be equipped with four Wind Challenger units.
Detailed design work for actual construction is currently underway. In 2024, MOL obtained AiP to install two Wind Challenger units on a conventional LNG carrier.
In the new vessel design, the bridge has been positioned toward the bow to enable both an increase in the number of Wind Challenger units and the optimization of their placement, thereby maximizing fuel efficiency gains.
Based on preliminary calculations, fuel saving is expected to reach up to approximately 30% per voyage with an average annual saving of 15-20%
Aside from the AiP, evaluations were conducted in collaboration with the respective flag states.
The vessel design jointly developed with HHI has earned AiP from the Marshall Islands, while the other vessel design developed with SHI secured an AiP from Liberia.
