Bulk carrier's wind-assisted propulsion system drops energy consumption by more than 30%

British firm BAR Technologies, a spin off from Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR), has been trialling its WindWings technology aboard a Kamsarmax bulker, Pyxis Ocean.

The system received approval from class society DNV in November 2021, and Yara Marine has helped scale manufacturing and delivery of the product. WindWings are made from glass reinforced fibre (GRP) and designed to last the lifetime of the vessel. Each wing weighs roughly 200 tonnes and is fitted with sensors to automatically maximise power and fuel savings.

The six-month trial, which began in August 2023, saw Pyxis Ocean save up to 11 tonnes of fuel per day in optimal conditions. Between August 2023 and March 2024, the vessel traversed the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, North and South Atlantic, and navigated Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, calling at six ports and completing eight loading and unloading operations.

DNV’s interim report found that when sailing in favourable conditions, the two 37-m WindWings installed on Pyxis Ocean helped reduced the main engine’s energy consumption by 32% per nautical mile.

DNV Maritime Advisory WAPS, Johanna Tranell said, “Innovative wind assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) like WindWings offer owners and operators new ways of saving energy and accelerating the decarbonisation of the maritime industry.”

BAR Technologies said its own evaluation of the data and energy savings from all tested conditions supports the company’s initial projections: average fuel savings of 1.5 tonnes CO2 emissions well-to-wake, per WindWing per day, across all global routes and seasons. 

In the future, BAR Technologies belives vessels such as Pyxis Ocean could carry three wings, potentially increasing fuel savings further. 

BAR Technologies chief executive John Cooper said, “It’s been a privilege to have the performance of our WindWings thoroughly assessed by DNV, who have been rigorous in their approach to assessing the data and applying impartial standards to the results.