Wind propulsion boosted by ClassNK AiP

ClassNK has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) for a hard-sail system, which converts wind energy into propulsive force with a telescopic hard sail, based on its September 2019 Guidelines for Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems for Ships. The AiP applies to the Wind Challenger Project, a collaborative initiative pioneered by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) and Oshima Shipbuilding Co Ltd.
On receiving the AiP application from MOL and Oshima, ClassNK reviewed the design of the hard-sail system in line with relevant international conventions, ClassNK rules, and its recently issued guidelines. This is the first AiP to have been granted under ClassNK’s new framework.
The Wind Challenger project originally began in 2009 but MOL and Oshima took control of the project in January 2018 and now play a central role in its development. ClassNK’s AIP comes as wind power climbs shipping’s sustainability agenda as a potentially valuable contributor to the industry’s decarbonisation process.