Six WindWings to be installed on two vessels in 2023
Innovative marine engineering consultancy, BAR Technologies, and front-running green maritime technology provider, Yara Marine Technologies, have announced that the ‘first cut’ of the steelwork that will form the first production run of BAR's pioneering WindWings has been completed, according to the company's release.
During the first half of 2023, two WindWings will be installed on MC Shipping-owned vessel the Pyxis Ocean, and four WindWings will be installed on the Berge Olympus owned by Berge Bulk. Global commodities business, Cargill, which charters the Pyxis Ocean, will be the first operator to see fuel savings and lower carbon emissions from the WindWings installation.
As global shipping prepares to implement the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rules from 1 January 2023, vessel owners are increasingly turning to technologies that may be retrofitted to existing vessels to enable them to reduce their carbon emissions.
The installation of WindWings allows operators to save c1.5 tonnes of fuel per WindWing per day on average global routes. This directly facilitates a significant contribution to CO2 reduction in the shipping industry – with c4.7 tonnes of CO2 saved per WindWing per day assuming the use of heavy fuel oil for main propulsion.
At present, production is focused on the main spar elements that give the WindWings their height, alongside the associated booms, towers, and slew bearings.
Concurrently, manufacturing is also progressing with the tilt mechanism that provides vessel charterers with the versatility to stow the WindWings during dockside operations, when passing under structures, or in certain sea conditions.
The composite parts of the wings are also well advanced with the assembly and testing to follow.
Despite global challenges in the commodities supply chains, the production of WindWings continues on schedule, with installation onto the Pyxis Ocean set for the first quarter of 2023, and the Berge Olympus following shortly afterwards.
Yara Marine is the commercial contractual partner and manages the value chain from procurement, construction, installation, service, and training for the WindWings in global locations.
Yara Marine offers a comprehensive portfolio of cutting-edge green technologies, spanning from SOx scrubbers and vessel optimization solutions (FuelOpt, Fleet Analytics, and Route Pilot AI) to turnkey shore power solutions and the advanced wind-assisted propulsion system WindWings. Yara Marine is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with branches in Sweden, Poland, and China.
