GENEVA–( BUSINESS WIRE )–Cargill announces promising results from six-month Pyxis Ocean trial as wind power drive moves maritime industry towards renewable energy This highlights the possibility of advancing the use of When two large rigid wind sails, “Windwings® ‘ ‘ developed by BAR Technologies, were installed on MC Shipping’s “Camsamax” vessel, the performance matched expectations that the ship would consume an average of 3 tons of fuel per day. did.
“Cargill is proud to be a part of the partnership with Cargill,” said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s maritime operations. “We are encouraged by these results and have learned a lot about implementing wind-assisted propulsion on dry bulk vessels, something we could never have done alone. Thanks to BAR Technologies and MC Shipping. Both companies, as well as the captain and crew, have been great partners in making Pyxis Ocean a reality. We are at the forefront of change in the shipping business, and wind-powered technology is in the short term. We believe this may be an important and cost-effective way to achieve medium- to long-term decarbonization goals.”
Pyxis Ocean was launched in August 2023 and during its first six months of testing sailed through the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, North and South Atlantic Ocean, and passed Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. Her ship was fitted with WindWings® , which are 37.5m tall and shaped like the main wings of an airplane . Vertical sails capture the wind and propel the ship forward, allowing it to travel at the same speed as a conventional ship, using less fuel, even with reduced engine power. The wings are controlled by a touch panel on the bridge, and a simple signal system tells the crew when to raise and lower the sails. Once the sails are raised, they are completely automatic. Built-in sensors constantly measure the wind and the sail autonomously adjusts to the optimal settings.
Promoting wind power support could be a cost-effective way to meet the new greenhouse gas strategy set out by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). One of the IMO’s 2030 targets is to reduce the use of extremely low-carbon fuels to 5-10% by 2030. Wind support promotion may be an important means of achieving this.
The insights gained from the early voyages are not just about the application of sails on board ships. It also highlighted the growing challenges related to logistics in the global maritime system. Given that every port, terminal and berth is different, their involvement is essential to integrating wind-assisted propulsion (WAP) technology into the broader global maritime system.
John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies, added: “Results from the maiden voyage of Pixis Ocean with WindWings® clearly demonstrate that wind-assisted propulsion can reliably deliver significant fuel savings and reduce emissions . Under almost optimal sailing conditions, fuel savings amounted to 11 tons per day. Pyxis Ocean’s WindWings® have two , but most Camsamax ships have three wing sails. , we expect an additional 1.5x in fuel savings and emissions reductions. Together with Cargill, we can now validate our performance predictions and modeling under real-world conditions. Windwings® It is an exciting moment to begin expanding our production globally.”
Dieleman says: “Cargill is paving the way not just for Pyxis Ocean, but for all WAP vessels plying the world’s trade routes.To date, we have completed 250 These complexities are what Cargill truly excels at and how we can leverage our unique role in the maritime industry. We are not afraid to share risk with our partners and influence change in our industry.”
Cargill will continue to test and experiment with Pyxis Ocean from an operational, technical and commercial perspective to ensure maximum learnings are incorporated into potential future installation designs before scaling up.
