Mitsubishi Corporation has installed two WindWing windsails from Cargill, BAR Technologies, and Yara Marine Technologies on its Pyxis Ocean cargo ship.
The windsails, measuring 37.5 meters in height, are a wind propulsion technology that allows the commercial shipping industry to harness wind energy to power its operations.
The WindWings are expected to generate an average fuel savings of up to 30% on newly built vessels and are designed to work in combination with other alternative fuels. The Pyxis Ocean is currently on the water, conducting her maiden voyage.
“The maritime industry is on a journey to decarbonize—it's not an easy one, but it is an exciting one,” said Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill’s Ocean transportation business. “A technology like WindWings doesn’t come without risk, and as an industry leader – in partnership with visionary shipowner Mitsubishi Corporation - we are not afraid to invest, take those risks, and be transparent with our learnings to help our partners in the maritime transition to a more sustainable future.”
The performance of Mitsubishi’s WindWings will be closely monitored to further improve their design, operation, and performance with the aim that the gathered information will help guide the scale-up and adoption of this technology across the industry. BAR Technologies and Yara Marine Technologies are already planning on building hundreds more of the wings over the next four years.
“If international shipping is to achieve its ambition of reducing CO2 emissions, then innovation must come to the fore. Wind is a near marginal cost-free fuel and the opportunity for reducing emissions, alongside significant efficiency gains in vessel operating costs, is substantial,” said John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies.
