Multipurpose Vessel Outlook Breakbulk & Project Cargo
Raising the sails
MPVs turn to unconventional propulsion to comply with EU fuel regulations
By Keith Wallis
Tighter emissions regulations in Europe have pushed multipurpose ship operators toward alternative propulsion technologies to achieve compliance .
MOL Drybulk and Jumbo Maritime are the latest multipurpose vessel ( MPV ) operators to install power assistance technologies to improve fuel efficiency and cut greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions .
MOL Drybulk on Jan . 30 took delivery of the 17,611-deadweight ton ( dwt ) Prima Verde , equipped with two VentoFoil wind power-assisted sails manufactured by Netherlands-based Econowind . The move is part of wider plans by parent Mitsui OSK Lines ( MOL ) to have more than 25 vessels equipped with wind propulsion equipment by 2030 and 80 ships by 2035 to help meet its goal of netzero GHG emissions by 2050 , the company said .
MOL said the ship is unique because it is the first vessel that can run exclusively on marine gas oil with a wind assistance ship propulsion ( WASP ) system , and it has been built using green steel .
Separately , Jumbo retrofitted the 13,000-dwt heavy-lift vessel Jumbo Jubilee with two Econowind VentoFoils on October in its latest initiative to apply multiple fuel-saving
“ These sails will help us to gather valuable insights on real-world fuel savings .”
solutions to a single vessel . Jumbo Jubilee had already been equipped with an AI-powered anti-fouling monitoring system and an eco-control system to assess vessel efficiency , the company said . The equipment is also transferrable between vessels , Jumbo added .
“ While not fully optimized for our vessel type , these sails will help us to gather valuable insights on real-world fuel savings and explore further optimizations that will allow Jumbo to reduce its environmental footprint even more ,” Technical Manager Andres Cassanova said in a statement .
Auxiliary systems
EU fuel and emissions regulations are driving interest in auxiliary propulsion equipment , especially wind and air lubrication-based systems , maritime executives said . Econowind said wind power systems help carriers comply with both the EU ’ s Emissions Trading Scheme ( ETS ) and its FuelEU Maritime regulation .
MOL plans to equip 25 vessels with wind propulsion equipment by 2030 and 80 ships by 2035 . MOL
10 Journal of Commerce | March 2025 www . joc . com