Japanese Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed an agreement with Oshima Shipbuilding and Iknow Machinery to jointly research and develop a sail that can be mounted on ships’ cargo handling cranes and similar equipment to boost propulsion force.
The joint R&D project aims at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vessels while underway, by unfurling the sail placed on ship such as triangular parts of existing cargo handling cranes to use offshore winds to provide additional propulsion force.
Many MOL Dry bulk-operated vessels are equipped with cargo handing cranes, and the company plans to study the installation of the Delta Sail on a broad range of ship types, such as bulkers, wood chip carriers, and multi-purpose vessels.
Through this joint R&D project, MOL group strives to reduce GHGs in clean energy supply chains with industrial leaders by one of the initiatives “Enhancement of Energy-Saving Technologies” in addition to our existing environment-friendly technologies using offshore winds such as Wind Challenger/Wind Hunter Project
…MOL explained.
What is more, through five initiatives, MOL group is working to achieve the Medium-to long-term targets in the ‘MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1’, including “achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050.”, as outlined in its strategy in late June.
Also watch MOL’s concept video on wind propulsion herebelow, part of its ‘Wind Challenger Project’ , that according to MOL, this has the potential to achieve 5% to 8% reduction in GHG emissions by reducing bunker oil consumption through the use installation of a telescoping hard sail that converts wind energy to propulsive force.
