World’s First Wind-Powered Cargo Vessel Saves 3 Tonnes Of Fuel Daily
Chartered by Cargill and operated by MC Shipping Kamsarmax, Pyxis Ocean has been retrofitted with two WindWings created by BAR Technologies.
It carried out an extended six-month sea trial beginning in August 2023.
It sailed across the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, North and South Atlantic, and passed Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope.
WindWings are solid, foldable sails made of steel and glass fibres and stand 37.5-m tall.
They provide supplemental propulsion as the ship sails into areas with favourable winds and currents.
A red/green traffic system on the bridge tells the crew when to activate or inactivate the WindWings.
Once online, they respond automatically to changes in the wind and trim themselves for optimum speed.
This allows the diesel engines to be throttled back without the ship slowing down.
According to Cargill, this allowed the Pyxis Ocean to save the equivalent of three tonnes of fuel per day.
It also reduced carbon dioxide emissions, leading to a general savings of 14%.
On an open sea expedition, the Pyxis Ocean secured fuel savings of 11 tons daily under near-optimum sailing conditions.
While Pyxis Ocean has 2 WindWings, it is said that most Kamsarmax vessels will carry three wings, raising fuel savings.