MOL Marks Installation of Wind Challenger Hard-Sail Propulsion System on In-service Coal Carrier for J-Power<\/p>\n
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced MOL and Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-Power; Representative Director President: Hideaki Kato; Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) have installed the Wind Challenger-a hard-sail wind propulsion system (Note 1)-on the Kurotakisan Maru \u2162 (Note 2), a coal carrier supplying J Power operations. This achievement marks the world\u2019s first retrofit installation of the Wind Challenger on a vessel currently in service. This is MOL\u2019s third Wind Challenger-equipped vessel, following the coal carrier Shofu Maru and the 64,000-DWT Ultramax bulk carrier Green Winds.<\/p>\n
The Kurotakisan Maru \u2162 berthed at the Tachibanawan Thermal Power Station (Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture) on April 13, and at the Ishikawa Coal-Fired Power Station (Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture) on April 17.<\/p>\n
The coal carrier Kurotakisan Maru \u2162 equipped with the Wind Challenger<\/p>\n
The Kurotakisan Maru \u2162 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.<\/p>\n
MOL has set the target of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 in the \u201cMOL Group Environmental Vision: BLUE ACTION 2035 Phase 2.\u201d One of the main actions to achieve this target is the \u201cintroduction of further energy-saving technologies,\u201d and the group plans to launch 25 vessels equipped with the Wind Challenger by 2030, increasing to 80 by 2035.<\/p>\n
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