Union Maritime, a leading provider of smart transportation solutions, has marked a significant milestone for the industry with the maiden voyage of the Brands Hatch, the first newly built tanker equipped with Bar Technologies’ WindWings. In recent days, the ship made its first call at a European port, in Rotterdam.
Brands Hatch has demonstrated the significant impact of Union Maritime’s investment in wind propulsion, achieving substantial fuel savings while maintaining high sailing speeds in difficult weather conditions. In favorable conditions, the ship achieved over a third of its propulsion from wind power alone, even at full load, demonstrating the WindWings technology’s ability to deliver not only impressive peak results but also reliable efficiency for prolonged periods.
Working closely with its charterers, Union Maritime also utilized Ascenz Marorka’s weather routing for this voyage, achieving substantial savings greater than those possible with traditional routing methods. While on global routes each WindWing will save an average of 1.5 tonnes of fuel per wing per day, during this first voyage Brands Hatch saw its three WindWings replace 12.8 tonnes of fuel in just 24 hours, or 4.3 tonnes per wing, equivalent to 13 tonnes of CO₂ avoided per WindWing per day. In this 24-hour span, sustained peak performances of over 18 tonnes per day were recorded for a full 6 hours. This is an extraordinary result that underscores the long-term potential of large-scale wind-assisted performance.
Brands Hatch is leading Union Maritime’s implementation of a groundbreaking fleet of wind-assisted ships, which will be the largest of its kind in the world. A significant portion of the fleet will be equipped with WindWings, ensuring full compliance with international environmental standards until 2030.
In preparation for the delivery of wind-powered ships, Union Maritime led a collaboration with partners Anglo-Eastern, Synergy, Atlantas Ship Management, and Bar Technologies. The AeroPower project was launched to guide the safe and smooth introduction of innovative wind propulsion systems on a global scale.
“This important voyage with Brands Hatch is a moment of pride for Union Maritime and a clear demonstration of our leadership in delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to the global maritime industry. The initial performance results highlight the concrete potential of wind propulsion, and we are pleased to demonstrate its commercial and environmental value on a large scale. Our collaboration with Bar Technologies for the implementation of WindWings is a key part of this journey and, together with our partners, we are setting a new standard of efficiency, compliance, and responsibility across the industry,” commented Laurent Cadji, Chief Executive Officer of Union Maritime.
“The arrival of Brands Hatch in Europe is truly a landmark moment, not just for us, but for everyone committed to advancing maritime sustainability through wind propulsion. This is the first time a vessel built from the ground up with WindWings has completed an entire ocean crossing, demonstrating that wind propulsion is ready for commercial-scale use.
What makes this event even more significant is the collaboration that brought it forward. We are proud to have collaborated with Union Maritime and its partners to bring all this to life, not only offering innovation but also achieving concrete results. On its inaugural voyage, Brands Hatch demonstrates what we have believed from the beginning: that WindWings are a practical and scalable solution to the challenge of maritime transport decarbonization. They were never just a concept for the future; they are delivering exactly what we always knew they would.” added John Cooper of Bar Technologies.
