London-headquartered tanker owner Union Maritime has reported that Brands Hatch has derived more than a third of its propulsion power from wind propulsion, when in favourable conditions, during its maiden voyage from Shanghai to Rotterdam.
The Aframax tanker is equipped with three 37.5-metre-high WindWings rigid wings, developed by UK-based BAR Technologies and manufactured by China’s CM Energy Tech.
The system is expected to save an average of 1.5 tonnes of fuel per wing per day on global routes. However, the shipowner reports a 24-hour period, during the ship’s journey from Asia to Europe, when the wind propulsion system replaced 12.8 tonnes of fuel, equivalent to 4.3 tonnes per wing. The company used weather routing from Ascenz Marorka on the voyage.
‘The early performance results highlight the real-world potential of wind-assisted propulsion, and we are pleased to be proving its commercial and environmental value at scale,’ said Laurent Cadji, Managing Director at Union Maritime.
BAR Technologies’ John Cooper described the arrival of Brands Hatch in Europe as a ‘landmark moment’ for the company and for wind propulsion more broadly.
‘This is the first time a tanker built from the ground up with WindWings has completed a full ocean passage, proving that wind propulsion is ready for commercial-scale use,’ he commented.
BAR Technologies’ WindWings were also installed last month on an LNG dual-fuel LR tanker being built for Union Maritime, which is scheduled for delivery in January.
Photo: Union Maritime
