MOL Installs First Solid Wind Sails on LNG Carrier

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean have completed the world’s first installation of solid wind sails on an LNG carrier, marking a major step in the shipping industry’s push to lower fuel use and emissions.

The vessel, currently under construction at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard in South Korea, is expected to be delivered in 2026 under a long-term charter agreement involving Chevron Shipping.

The LNG carrier will be fitted with two large Wind Challenger rigid sails developed by MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding. Each sail can extend up to around 49 meters above the deck and measures approximately 15 meters wide. The sails are designed to use wind power to help move the vessel, reducing the load on the main engine and lowering fuel consumption during voyages.

The project comes at a time when global demand for LNG continues to rise due to growing energy security concerns and ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Reports said disruptions involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz have increased interest from countries seeking alternative energy suppliers outside the Gulf region.

Several major international companies have already signed long-term supply agreements with the project, including EQT, Glencore, Mercuria, PETRONAS, and Aramco Trading.