Bulk carrier sets sail with WindWings

Chartered by Cargill, the 229m long Pyxis Ocean is the first to have the 37.5m high WindWings retrofitted onto it.

Produced by Yara Marine Technologies, WindWings are expected to generate average fuel savings of up to 30 per cent on new build vessels, a figure that could rise if used in combination with alternative fuels.

“The maritime industry is on a journey to decarbonise - it's not an easy one, but it is an exciting one,” said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s Ocean transportation business.  “At Cargill we have a responsibility to pioneer decarbonising solutions across all our supply chains to meet our customer’s needs and the needs of the planet.”

Dielman continued: “A technology like WindWings doesn’t come without risk, and as an industry leader – in partnership with…Mitsubishi Corporation - we are not afraid to invest, take those risks and be transparent with our learnings to help our partners in maritime transition to a more sustainable future.”

Co-funded by the European Union as part of Horizon 2020, the WindWings project could be rolled out to provide a retrofit solution that is capable of decarbonising existing vessels in bulker fleets, of which 55 per cent are up to nine years in age.

The performance of the WindWings will be monitored over the coming months to further improve their design, operation, and performance.

BAR Technologies and Yara Marine Technologies are planning to build hundreds of wings over the next four years and BAR Technologies is also researching newbuilds with improved hydrodynamic hull forms.

“If international shipping is to achieve its ambition of reducing CO₂ emissions, then innovation must come to the fore,” said John Cooper, CEO, BAR Technologies. “Wind is a near marginal cost-free fuel and the opportunity for reducing emissions, alongside significant efficiency gains in vessel operating costs, is substantial.

“Today [August 21, 2023] is the culmination of years of pioneering research, where we’ve invested in our unique wind sail technology and sought out a skilled industrialisation partner in Yara Marine Technologies, in order to provide vessel owners and operators with an opportunity to realise these efficiencies.”

According to Cargill, a company that connects farmers with markets, WindWings can save 1.5 tonnes of fuel per WindWing per day on an average global route, with the possibility of greater savings on trans-ocean routes. This can translate into vessel owners saving heavy fuel oil at around $800 per tonne.