Image credit: MOL

TOKYO, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), announced the completion of the Green Winds, a 63,896 DWT Ultramax bulk carrier, on July 10. This vessel, built by Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. is equipped with the Wind Challenger hard sail wind power propulsion system. MOL Drybulk Ltd., an MOL Group company led by President and CEO Koichi Hirata and based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, will operate the new vessel.

The Green Winds is the second in a series of nine MOL Group vessels that will feature the Wind Challenger system, marking it as the world's first crane vessel equipped with this technology. The Wind Challenger, co-developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding, utilizes telescoping hard sails to convert wind energy into propulsive force, potentially reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 7% to 16%, contingent on the ship route and operational conditions.

Aligned with the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2," MOL aims to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Key strategies include the adoption of energy-saving technologies, with plans to launch 25 vessels equipped with the Wind Challenger by 2030 and 80 vessels by 2035. MOL Group is committed to expanding its environmentally friendly fleet, integrating wind propulsion technology across diverse ship types to enhance safe management and efficient operation, thereby contributing to the decarbonization of the maritime industry and society at large.