“The five-year old Pyxis Ocean has been retrofitted with WindWings, large wing sails measuring up to 37.5 meters in height fitted to the deck of the cargo ship.”
Powering ships with wind. What an innovative idea!
It’s brand new, never been done before.
You sure they didn’t pirate the idea from someone?
Arrr, matey, they sure didn’t.
I don’t know, sounds a lot like what them windmills do.
you ever notice how old tech often proves to be amazing once we make advancements in it?
Like how nuclear power plants are just steam engines with a different heat source?
yep. and also how the first cars were electric, and thats where were going (terrible decision but whatever ig), how obsidian blades are still sometimes used over steel in surgery, tons of stuff
This is the best summary I could come up with:
LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - A Cargill chartered dry bulk ship has launched on its first voyage since being fitted with special sails, aiming to study how harnessing wind power can cut emissions and energy usage in the shipping sector, the U.S. commodities group said on Monday.
The maritime industry - which accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and is under pressure from investors and environmental groups to accelerate decarbonisation - is exploring a number of different technologies including ammonia and methanol in an effort to move away from dirtier bunker fuel.
Cargill, one of the world’s biggest ship charterers, has been exploring wind assisted propulsion as one cleaner energy option.
There is no guarantee … that the economics are going to work," Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s ocean transportation division, told Reuters.
The five-year old Pyxis Ocean has been retrofitted with WindWings, large wing sails measuring up to 37.5 meters in height fitted to the deck of the cargo ship.
Pyxis Ocean will sail from Singapore and head to Brazil and is likely to transport a cargo of grain to Denmark, Dieleman said.
The original article contains 329 words, the summary contains 186 words. Saved 43%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
More details in this article for anyone interested:
A cargo ship that harnesses wind power has set sail on its maiden journey
The WindWings technology deployed on the Pyxis Ocean could cut fuel consumption by 30%
By
Ananya Bhattacharya
Published3 hours ago
WindWings made out of the same material as wind turbines. Photo: Cargill/Handout via REUTERS (Reuters)
A cargo ship, typically a dirty oil guzzler, has taken to the open seas with a new green, clean technology onboard. The first vessel of its kind to be retrofitted with the technology called WindWings, the Pyxis Ocean has set sail from China with a lofty goals of helping the maritime industry decarbonize.
Agribusiness giant Cargill charted the Mitsubishi Corporation vessel. The WindWings, described as “an advanced wind-assisted propulsion and route optimization system” in today’s (Aug. 21) press release, have been developed by UK-based design and engineering firm BAR Technologies and manufactured by Yara Marine Technologies.
Harnessing wind power along the journey could lead to a 30% reduction in fuel consumption, cutting shipping’s carbon emissions. If the ship can stay the course, it could open doors to a greener future for the polluting industry, retrofitting a solution to decarbonize existing vessels, while offering new ones a sustainable design edge.
“A technology like WindWings doesn’t come without risk, and as an industry leader—in partnership with visionary shipowner Mitsubishi Corporation—we are not afraid to invest, take those risks and be transparent with our learnings to help our partners in maritime transition to a more sustainable future,” said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business. Speaking to Reuters, Dieleman said the Pyxis Ocean is expected to sail from Singapore to Brazil and is likely to deliver a cargo of grain to Denmark.
Cargill and its partners will evaluate the performance of the WindWings over the coming months to tweak the design and function fro scalability across not only Cargill’s fleet but the entire industry.
Company of interest: BAR Technologies
UK firm BAR Technologies was spun out of British competitive sailor Sir Ben Ainslie’s 2017 America’s Cup team—a competition that’s often referred to as the “Formula One of the seas.” The company’s process follows the Formula One racing playbook, with high-end simulation tools and AI design optimization, by tweaking latest hydrodynamics and foil assist technologies to boost efficiency.
It also features key Formula One racing personalities on its C-suite roster. CEO John Cooper, who spent 14 years working for Formula One team McLaren, swapped automotive technology for marine technology when he joined BAR Technologies in 2019. The team also includes former McLaren Formula One team principal Martin Whitmarsh as chairman and former America’s Cup designer and engineer Simon Schofield as chief technology officer.
Quotable: Wind beneath the shipping industry’s zero-emission wings
“Wind is a near-marginal cost-free fuel and the opportunity for reducing emissions, alongside significant efficiency gains in vessel operating costs, is substantial. Today is the culmination of years of pioneering research, where we’ve invested in our unique wind sail technology and sought out a skilled industrialization partner in Yara Marine Technologies, in order to provide.”
—BAR Technologies CEO John Cooper in a press statement on Aug. 20
Sailing with wind, by the digits
30%: Reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions that Windwings can achieve on average trading patterns, according to simulations. “This could be even higher if used in combination with alternative fuels,” Cargill and BAR Technologies said in their press release
37 meters: Size of the solid wing sails—made from the same material as wind turbines—featured in the system, which are fitted to the deck of bulk cargo ships
751 meters: Length of the ship Cargill has chartered, equivalent to two American football fields
3 tonnes: Fuel the system will enable the ship to save per day, as per BAT Technologies
6 weeks: Length of Pyxis Ocean’s journey from China to Brazil
55%: Percentage of the world’s bulker fleets that are up to nine years in age
Hundreds: Wings developer BAR Technologies and manufacturer Yara Marine Technologies plan to build over the next four years
Half: Share of new-build ships “that will be ordered with wind propulsion,” according to BAR Technologies’ Cooper
2.2%: Share of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from international shipping is responsible, according to the UN
23: Large ships equipped with some form of “wind assist” technology over the past 12 years, Gavin Allwright, secretary of the International Windship Association, in a statement in July. The figure is expected to double over the next 12 months
12: Wind propulsion systems on the market, with as many as seven more coming online in 2023, according to Allwright. These include Helsinki-based Norsepower Oy’s rotor sails, tire company Michelin’s inflatable and retractable automated wing sail, Netherlands-based Econowind BV’s Ventifoil wing-shaped suction-based device, and more.
For those wondering about nuclear options, Wired did a nice write up recently.
What would happen to a molten salt reactor when the ship sinks?
Nothing good.
Bubbles
This is so cool!
Put wind turbine. That power electric engines.
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