Mitsui OSK Line’s (MOL) bulk provider outfitted with a hard-sail-based wind propulsion system entered service on October seventh. After the completion of the vessel, it was named “Shofu Maru” in a ceremony held at Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.
The 98,700 dwt bulker, is the primary wind-assisted vessel for MOL outfitted with a telescoping laborious sail. The ship was developed in-house, in partnership with one other shipbuilder, Oshima underneath the Wind Challenger challenge.
The Shofu Maru is meant to haul coal from Australia, Indonesia, and North America as a devoted vessel for Tohoku Electrical Energy Co. The extra wind propulsion is predicted to shave off gasoline consumption and cut back Greenhouse Fuel emissions. The gasoline consumption is predicted to be lowered by 5% on a Japan-Australia voyage and by about 8% on a Japan-North American west coast voyage in comparison with a standard vessel of the identical sort.
MOL has one other wind-assisted bulker set to enter service in 2024. The brand new bulker is meant to move wooden pellets for Enviva. Along with the laborious telescopic sails, MOL can also be exploring the implementation of rotor sails from Anemoi Marine Applied sciences. Equipping each laborious telescopic and rotor sails may probably cut back emissions of a vessel by 20%.
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