A ship powered by sail-shaped turbines and aiming to herald a new era of wind-powered cargo transport launched on its maiden voyage today.
The Pyxis Ocean, owned by Japanese firm Mitsubishi and charted by shipping firm Cargill, will sail from China to Brazil in a real-world test of its windwing technology.
Shipping is one of the world’s major pollutants and though alternatives that are less damaging are being developed, the cost is seen as a prohibitive factor in their adoption.
Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill Ocean Transportation, told PA he hopes the new sails, which unfurl when the ship is out of port and on the ocean, will make these alternative fuels more economically viable.
“Although we’re trying it on a conventional one, the endgame is, of course, to somehow combine it with either low-carbon fuels, zero-carbon fuels and all kinds of other technologies.
Built by Yara Marine Tech, using a design from a team of British Olympic sailors at BAR, tests showed the WindWings can save up to 30% of shipping fuel on average, though need strong wind conditions and cannot power container ships.
Even so, BAR and Yara Marine Tech want to build to expand production substantially over the next four years, with research ongoing to improve their hydrodynamic hull forms.
Dieleman said: “I think these are real fuel savings and real carbon savings. They’re important today, but they’re even more important tomorrow with the new fuels.”
John Cooper, BAR’s chief executive, said: “If international shipping is to achieve its ambition of reducing CO2 emissions, then innovation must come to the fore.
“Wind is a near-marginal, cost-free fuel and the opportunity for reducing emissions, alongside significant efficiency gains in vessel-operating costs, is substantial.”