MOL takes delivery of LNG dual-fuel coal carrier equipped with Wind Challenger
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has taken delivery of the MAIZURU KAZENOMAI, an LNG dual-fuel coal carrier equipped with the Wind Challenger wind-assisted propulsion system, following its completion at Oshima Shipbuilding in Japan.
The 95,311 dwt vessel was constructed specifically for Kansai Electric Power and has entered service transporting coal to the company’s Maizuru Power Plant. According to MOL, it is Japan’s first coal carrier to combine the Wind Challenger hard sail system with LNG dual-fuel propulsion.
A naming and delivery ceremony was held at Oshima Shipbuilding to mark the vessel’s completion. The MAIZURU KAZENOMAI measures 234.98 metres in length and 38 metres in beam, sails under the Liberian flag and was built in 2026.
The vessel features a dual-fuel main engine capable of operating primarily on LNG, alongside the Wind Challenger system jointly developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding. The wind-assisted propulsion technology uses a hard sail to supplement the vessel’s conventional propulsion system and reduce fuel consumption.
MOL expects the combination of LNG propulsion and wind assistance to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to approximately 30% compared with conventional heavy fuel oil-powered vessels. The company also anticipates reductions in greenhouse gas and nitrogen oxide emissions, alongside a substantial decrease in sulphur oxide emissions when using LNG.
Wind-assisted propulsion expansion
The delivery forms part of MOL’s wider programme to introduce wind-assisted propulsion technology across its fleet. Under its BLUE ACTION 2035 Phase 2 environmental strategy, the company aims to deploy 25 Wind Challenger-equipped vessels by 2030 and 80 by 2035.
MOL has also established a target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, identifying improvements in fuel efficiency as one of the measures supporting that objective.
The MAIZURU KAZENOMAI will operate as a dedicated coal carrier for Kansai Electric Power, combining conventional bulk transportation with LNG dual-fuel technology and wind-assisted propulsion.
