The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (causing climate change) and polluting compounds has become one of the main challenges of the shipping sector worldwide. One of the alternatives to the use of fossil fuels, which cause emissions, is the -modernized- recovery of renewable energies such as wind.
The first practical experience of incorporating newly designed sails in large tonnage ships was carried out with the launching, on October 7, 2022, of the bulk carrier Shofu Maru at the Oshima Shipbuilding shipyards (Japan). A semi-rigid sail from the Wind Challenger system now makes it possible to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by 8% for this 235-meter-long, 100,422-tonne freighter.
Advancing with the same objective, this month of August the new configuration of the merchant ship Pyxis Ocean, from Mitsubishi Corporation, has entered into service, now equipped with two WindWings, deployable rigid sails, up to 37.5 meters high, which "can generate an average fuel saving of close to 30% in newly built ships, which could be even higher if they are used in combination with alternative fuels", according to Yara Marine Technologies, a specialized company that has developed the new technology. The installation of the sails took place at the COSCO shipyard in China and the Pyxis Ocean is already underway, making its maiden voyage and has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
"The maritime industry has embarked on the path of decarbonization: it is not easy, but it is exciting," said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill's Maritime Transport division, a company specialized in the trade and transport of grain that has chartered a new ship with semi-rigid sails. "At Cargill we have a responsibility to drive decarbonization solutions throughout our supply chains to meet the needs of our customers and the planet. A technology like WindWings is not without risk, and as an industry leader, in collaboration with visionary shipowner Mitsubishi Corporation, we are not afraid to invest, take those risks and be transparent with what we have learned to help our partners in the maritime transition towards a more sustainable future", Dielman states in the presentation note of the ship with the new technology.
The WindWings project, co-financed by the European Union within the framework of the CHEK Horizon 2020 initiative, can help the sector meet these objectives by offering a modernization solution capable of decarbonising current ships, which is especially relevant if one takes into account that 55% of the world freighter fleets are up to nine years old.
The performance of the WindWings will be closely monitored in the coming months to continue to improve their design, function and performance, with the goal that the Pyxis Ocean will serve as the foundation for expansion and adoption not only in the Cargill fleet, but throughout the world. sector. BAR Technologies and Yara Marine Technologies plan to build more than a hundred such sails in the next four years, and BAR Technologies is also investigating new builds with improved hydrodynamic hull shapes.
"If we want international shipping to meet its ambition to reduce CO2 emissions, innovation must take the lead. Wind is a fuel that has almost no marginal costs and the potential to reduce emissions, along with a significant increase in the cost-efficiency of the ships is considerable," said John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies.
Simulation of a ship equipped with three Yara technology sails:
By using wind power, WindWings can help shipowners meet the new Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) standards. Because wind power is not only zero emissions, but also non-depleting and highly predictable, it offers significant improvements in ship operating cost efficiencies.
On an average global route, WindWings can save 1.5 tons of fuel per WindWing per day, with the potential to save more on transoceanic routes. This can translate into heavy fuel oil (HFO) savings of C$800 per tonne for shipowners, which will be even more significant when it comes to saving against future fuels that will undoubtedly cost much more.
