Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has taken delivery of WIND WHALE, Japan’s first coastal module carrier for transporting offshore wind foundation components.
The vessel was delivered and named on 26 June 2026 at Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China. It will transport offshore wind foundation components from JFE Engineering’s monopile manufacturing facility in Kasaoka, Okayama Prefecture, to project sites in Japan.
WIND WHALE was designed by Heavylift@Sea and measures 149.9 m in length, 30 m in beam and 8.72 m in depth. The vessel has a deadweight of 13,000 tonnes and a design speed of 12.9 knots.
Its flush deck can accommodate monopiles, towers, blades, nacelles and floating foundations. Cargo can be moved onto the vessel from the stern or either side using self-propelled modular transporters.
The carrier is equipped with a dynamic positioning system, allowing direct cargo transfer to self-elevating platform vessels to be considered at offshore wind construction sites.
A compartmentalised ballast tank arrangement supports rapid trim and heel adjustment during loading and transit. The ventilation system is centrally arranged, removing deck vent pipes and increasing the available cargo area.
The vessel also uses independent electric propulsion units, two bow thrusters, battery energy storage and variable-frequency generators. Its energy management and route optimisation systems are intended to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while improving onboard energy use.
