Ocean shipping under sail may be making a comeback. Cargill, a very large global producer of bulk agricultural commodities, has partnered with BAR Technologies and MC shipping to retrofit a large cargo vessel with vertical airfoils to augment propeller propulsion.
The ship, Pyxis Ocean, has been retrofitted with what BAR Technologies calls WindWings, and has been under test at sea since August 2023. The 37m tall, solid, steerable sails are deployed electrically from the bridge, and once deployed, onboard sensors adjust the sails for an optimal configuration.
The goal is not to replace diesel propulsion, but to supplement it, allowing lower throttle settings to maintain a desired steady-state speed. Under optimum conditions, BAR reports that the Pyxis Ocean achieves fuel savings of 11 tons per day.
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