Cargill, BAR Technologies to deliver wind sail solution for commercial ships

Food corporation Cargill and design and engineering consultancy services provider BAR Technologies have embarked on a strategic project with naval architect Deltamarin to bring wind propulsion technology to commercial shipping.

As informed, the project will see BAR Technologies’ WindWings — large, solid wing sails that measure up to 45 meters in height — fitted to the deck of bulk cargo ships to harness the power of the wind and reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 30 per cent.

The number of wing sails can be tailored to the size of the vessel and the route it will take.         

The project is currently in the design phase, bringing together a team of companies to deliver the first vessels – expected on the water by 2022. The team will share risk and expertise, starting with product tankers before moving to dry bulk vessels.   

BAR Technologies – a spin-off from Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR), the British team formed by Olympic and World Champion sailor Sir Ben Ainslie – was formed in 2016, making the design knowledge, technical skills and intellectual property developed for America’s Cup yacht racing available for the commercial world.

 “Through this partnership we will bring … wind solutions to customers who are actively seeking to reduce CO2 emissions from their supply chain,” Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business, commented.

“Changing regulations and uncertainty about future greener marine fuels makes choosing the right vessel to charter with a long-term view complicated. With the WindWings technology, Cargill will be able to offer customers a solution that improves vessel efficiency, independent of the fuel or type of engine used,” he continued. 

“Wind is a near marginal cost-free fuel and the opportunity for reducing emissions, alongside significant efficiency gains in vessel operating costs, is substantial. We’ve invested in our … wind sail technology to provide vessel owners and operators with an opportunity to realize these efficiencies,” John Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, BAR Technologies, said.

The maritime industry faces a huge challenge to reduce average CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 and working towards 70% by 2050, compared with 2008 levels. Cargill, which was chartering a fleet of more than 600 vessels at one time, recognizes its responsibility to accelerate the decarbonization process and has brought the necessary vision and scale to convert BAR Technology’s inspiration into measurable efficiency savings.  

Cargill has partnered with a number of fellow industry leaders and organizations to drive decarbonization progress, including the Global Maritime Forum and its Getting To Zero Coalition, the Sea Cargo Charter, a recent initiative to cut and track emissions from chartered ships to reduce the maritime industry’s carbon footprint and the Maersk McKinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. 

Last year, Cargill announced a collaboration with Maersk Tankers and Mitsui & Co. to provide over-the-shelf solutions for maritime actors looking to explore new technologies to reduce their emissions.