The potential to change the shipping industry is at hand with Cargill’s latest testing period of its vessel, the Pyxis Ocean. The MC Shipping Kamsarmax vessel was retrofitted with two WindWings®—large solid wind sails developed by BAR Technologies—and has achieved performance consistent with what was predicted which is equivalent to an average of 3 tonnes of fuel per day.
“We are encouraged by the results and have learned a great deal about implementing wind assisted propulsion on dry bulk vessels,” said Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business. “We could never have done this alone—BAR Technologies and MC Shipping and have been fantastic partners in making the Pyxis Ocean a reality as well as the captain and crew. We are on the leading edge of change in the shipping industry and believe technologies that harness the wind could be an important, cost-effective way to achieve our decarbonization goals in the short, medium and long-term.”
The Pyxis Ocean hit open waters in August 2023 and during the first six months of testing it has sailed the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, North and South Atlantic, and passed Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. According to a press release, the ship’s two WindWings measure 37.5 meters in height and resemble large airplane wings.
The wings are installed vertically to catch the wind and propel the ship forward, allowing the ship’s engine to be turned down so that the ship can travel at the same speed as a conventional ship using less fuel.
“Cargill is creating ways for all WAP vessels—not just the Pyxis Ocean—to operate on global trade routes,” added Dieleman. “So far, we’ve engaged with more than 250 ports to find ways of enabling vessel with large scale WAP to berth. This complexity is where Cargill truly excels, and how we can leverage our unique role in the maritime industry. We are not afraid to be a development partner and invest, share risks with partners, and to make a difference in transforming the industry.”
Cargill will continue the testing and experimenting of operational, technical, and commercial aspects of the Pyxis Ocean to incorporate the maximum amount of learning into potential design of future installations before scaling up.
“Cargill is creating ways for all WAP vessels - not just the Pyxis Ocean—to operate on global trade routes,” Dieleman added. “So far, we’ve engaged with more than 250 ports to find ways of enabling vessel with large scale WAP to berth. This complexity is where Cargill truly excels, and how we can leverage our unique role in the maritime industry. We are not afraid to be a development partner and invest, share risks with partners, and to make a difference in transforming the industry.”
Cargill will continue the testing and experimenting of operational, technical, and commercial aspects of the Pyxis Ocean to incorporate the maximum amount of learning into potential design of future installations before scaling up.
To learn more about the designs, click here.
What exciting times ahead! We’ll continue to keep a close watch on the latest.
