The Pyxis Ocean is en route from Singapore to Brazil to pickup grain and then head toward its destination in Europe. What makes this overseas shipment newsworthy is it’s powered by a new technology, WindWings, which are rigid wind sails that propel the vessel and slash its fuel use.
This voyage is the first of its kind testing wind-assisted propulsion technology, which is estimated to reduce fuel use by a fifth. This partnership between Cargill, BAR Technologies and Yara Marine Technologies retrofitted the Mitsubishi Corporation’s Pyxis Ocean with the two sails that measure 123’ high.
If this chartered test voyage is successful, Cargill aims to add 10 more vessels to be wind-powered. For new build vessels, it’s calculated the wind-propulsion could provide 30% fuel savings.
“The maritime industry is on a journey to decarbonize—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 decarbonizing 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.”
