First bulker with rigid sail launched in Japan

Jul 23, 2022 | News On Japan

Jul 23, 2022 (maritime-executive.com) - The first installation of a rigid, winged sail has been completed on a commercial bulker with the vessel recently floated at the Oshima Shipyard in Japan.

The bulker being built for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is scheduled to enter service in October as the first demonstration of MOL’s Wind Challenger project.

The concept originated as an academic research project in 2009 with MOL and Oshima later taking the lead to commercialize the technology for wind-assisted propulsion. The first ship to deploy the rigid sail was ordered in December 2020 and is nearing completion at the Oshima Shipyard. The vessel is a 99,000 dwt bulk carrier measuring 770 feet in length. Specifics on the height of the sail were not announced but in concepts MOL cited a height of nearly 170 feet when fully raised at sea, and it can be lowered to permit the vessel to pass under overhead obstacles or while docked in port for loading and unloading.

The sail was built separately at the Oshima Shipyard and completed earlier this year for on-dock tests before being fitted to the bulker. MOL reports that extensive CFD and wind tunnel experiments were conducted during the development to estimate the thrust generated from the sail. The testing confirmed that auxiliary thrust is converted to fuel efficiency with consideration of the size of the ship. MOL expected a reduction of five percent in fuel consumption on the Japan-Australia route and eight percent on the Japan-North America west coast route for a 100,000 ton bulk carrier. ...continue reading

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Humanoid Robots Set to Enter Japanese Convenience Stores

Humanoid robots capable of stocking shelves, managing inventory, packaging products, and serving customers in more than 20 languages were showcased at an international retail industry event in Tokyo on October 8, highlighting the growing potential of artificial intelligence to transform store operations as Japan struggles with chronic labor shortages.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Qilin Hacker Detained in Japan

A core member of the international ransomware group Qilin was detained in Japan and handed over to German authorities, according to people familiar with the case, as Japanese companies and institutions face a growing wave of cyberattacks that has exposed nearly 15 million pieces of personal information this month alone.

Japan Startup Begins Building Rare Earth Production Facility

Miresso, a Japanese startup backed by trading house Mitsui & Co., has announced the start of construction of a facility to produce beryllium, a rare metal essential for nuclear fusion power generation, with plans to manufacture 100 tons annually, equivalent to about one-third of current global production.

World’s First iPS Cell Heart Surgery Performed in Osaka

A woman in her 50s with severe heart failure underwent what was described as the world's first surgery using commercially available iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheets at an Osaka hospital on September 29, marking the first practical use of the regenerative treatment.