Pyxis Ocean, a dry bulk ship owned by Mitsubishi Corp and chartered by Cargill, set sail on its first voyage since being outfitted with WindWings, a form of technology that uses wind power to cut down on energy usage and emissions. Pyxis Ocean is a Panamax-sized ship, with a carrying capacity of 80,962 DWT. Its maiden voyage comes as the maritime industry, which accounts for almost 3% of global CO2 emissions, explores different technologies to move away from bunker fuel.
WindWings are large sails built with the same materials as wind turbines, and designed as a supplemental source of power for large vessels, with the potential to cut fuel costs up to 30%. BAR Technologies, who helped develop WindWings, said they will allow shippers to save up to 1.5 tons of fuel per WindWing daily, according to Offshore Energy.
Read more: Wind and Water Could Usher in a New 'Intermodal' for Post-Carbon Freight
“The maritime industry is on a journey to de-carbonize. 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 de-carbonizing solutions across all our supply chains to meet our customer’s needs and the needs of the planet. 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 maritime transition to a more sustainable future.”
BAR Technologies and Yara Marine Technologies, which assisted with the production of the WindWings, are planning to build hundreds of more wings over the next four years.
