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CHALLENGER type. While Shofu Maru has been operating since October gineering of the system, planning for larger scale production.

2022, Makoto Yamaguchi said that “We are collecting and Makoto Yamaguchi could not disclose the total additional analyzing data. The sail is performing as we expected both cost of this ? rst R&D prototype sail for Shofu Maru, but noted mechanically and in terms of fuel savings.” that the investment in this ? rst R&D prototype included ad-

Wind Challenger is a system developed mainly by MOL ditional investment in auxiliary equipment and systems, such and Oshima Shipbuilding, using a telescoping hard sail that as updated weather routing systems.

harnesses wind power to propel the vessel. Controlled from The Wind Challenger Project started in 2009 with the the bridge of locally, too, it takes 10 minutes to fully deploy “Wind Challenger Plan,” an industry-academia project led by or retract the sail. The Wind Challenger sail is automated, de- The University of Tokyo. Since 2013, the team was chosen signed to make it easy for a normal crew to use the wind to to receive a subsidy on next-generation marine environment- maximum ef? ciency. Via sensors, the sail detects the strength related technology research from MLIT, and in January 2018, and direction of the wind and automatically rotates. When the MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding took charge of the plan.

wind is weak, the sail is extended (unfolded); when the wind MOL is aiming to equip a second bulk carrier with the is strong, the sail is retracted (curved sail). Wind Challenger system, and it is also examining the fea-

Operated via a hydraulic system, the hard sail doesn’t pose sibility of adopting Anemoi Marine Rotor Sails in combi- any special or unique maintenance problems. The Wind Chal- nation with Wind Challenger a duo by which preliminary lenger system is intended for use by MOL, and Makoto Yama- calculations show an expected 20% reduction in greenhouse guchi said the company has started to commercialize the en- gas (GHG) emissions.

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