Press Release: On the back of the recent AIP approval for the Wind Challenger, wind-assisted vessel design by Class NK, Tokyo headquartered MOL O.S.K. Lines Ltd today has announced that it is joining the International Windship Association (IWSA) as a full member. This not-for-profit organisation has for the last five years been bringing together wind propulsion projects, research organisations and projects and promoting the wind as a credible, viable and increasingly economic option for commercial vessels.
With over 135 years of experience and operating over 750 vessels, MOL will bring substantial experience and industry know-how to the organization as interest in both wind-assist and primary wind propulsion is growing. The pace of development of wind propulsion solutions is slated to continue, an EU commissioned report on the wind propulsion market in 2017 predicted up to more than 10,000 wind propulsion installations by 2030 and the recent UK Clean Maritime plan forecast market potential at £300 million per year over the next decade growing to £2billion per year by the 2050s.
MOL has been engaging with IWSA over the last few years through the ‘Wind Challenger Project’ which was started in 2009 with the “Wind Challenger Plan,” an industry-academia joint research project led by the University of Tokyo, and from 2013, the team was chosen to receive “Subsidy for Next-generation marine environment-related technology research” by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. In January 2018, MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding took charge of the plan and now play a central role in the delivery of this project and technology.
Gavin Allwright, Secretary General of IWSA states; “Having Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. step up and take on the delivery of the Wind Challenger project is a significant step forward for both the project and wind propulsion in the industry in general. MOL is a key player in the industry and we are delighted to welcome them on board at a critical juncture in the decarbonisation transition in shipping. I look forward to working with the MOL team going forward.”
MOL’s move to join IWSA also coincides with participation in a number of significant events both here in Tokyo and Europe. On 15-16th October, the MOL team will be presenting two papers on the Wind Challenger project at the Wind Propulsion Conference being held at the Royal Institution of Naval Architects headquarters in London and this will be followed by a project progress report presentation at a Shipping and the Environment seminar hosted by ClassNK in Tokyo on 31st October among other events.
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