Chevron and MOL in LNG carrier wind assistance world first

Image: Chevron/MOL

Wind assistance is finding favor in an ever growing range of vessel types and trades. It’s now reaching the LNG sector, where Chevron Shipping Company LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) have reached an agreement to install a Wind Challenger hard sail wind-assisted ship propulsion system on a new build 174,000 cubic meter LNG carrier.

The vessel is under long term charter from MOL Encean Pte. Ltd. (a MOL 100% indirectly owned subsidiary) to Chevron Asia Pacific Shipping Pte. Ltd. and will be the world’s first LNG carrier to be equipped with a wind-assistance system.

The vessel is under construction at the Geoje Shipyard of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. and is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

Last month, MOL obtained an approval in principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the design – a first for an LNG carrier with a wind-assisted ship propulsion system. The Chevron chartered vessel will be the first application.

Wind Challenger will help reduce fuel consumption and GHG emissions by using its unique telescopic sails.

In addition to the Wind Challenger itself, additional features of the LNG carrier’s design include a fully enclosed navigation bridge with a lookout station on the vessel’s fore deck to further enhance visibility.

The Wind Challenger system is being positioned to minimize its impact on the existing design of membrane type LNG Carriers. This positioning will enable the retention of the existing mooring arrangement unchanged and thus minimize impacts on ship-to- shore compatibility, together with limited impact on the vessel’s windage area.

“We’re proud to partner with MOL in Wind Challenger’s industry-first LNG installation,” said Barbara Pickering, president of Chevron Shipping Company. “This is another example of using novel approaches in hard-to-abate sectors to reduce carbon intensity in our LNG fleet.”

Takeshi Hashimoto, president, and CEO of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, said, “With the understanding and cooperation of Chevron, we are delighted to be able to expand the Wind Challenger Project to LNG carriers in addition to the two delivered Wind Challenger-equipped bulkers and other ongoing projects. Achieving GHG reduction in the maritime transport of LNG, which is increasingly in demand worldwide as a transition fuel, is a very important mission for us. This project will undoubtedly be a significant milestone towards achieving ‘net-zero emissions by 2050’, a medium to long-term goal of the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Group, as stated in our ‘Environmental Vision 2.2’.”

• The Wind Challenger technology will be on exhibit at the MOL booth at the Gastech Exhibition & Conference 2024 in Houston, September 17-20.