一艘安裝巨型特殊風帆翼的貨輪,「羅盤海洋號」(Pyxis Ocean),開始了它的處女航,從中國航向巴西,橫越整個太平洋。風帆翼可從海風當中取得輔助動力,也就能夠節省燃油量。這一次航行將會持續紀錄燃油效率,假如成效不錯,未來有可能成為遠洋貨輪的輔助動力。

羅盤海洋號是日本三菱公司所有,嘉吉遠洋運輸公司（Cargill Ocean Transportation）租賃的卡姆薩級貨輪(Kamsarmax),全長230公尺,排水量8.2萬噸。與其他卡姆薩級貨輪不同的是,羅盤海洋號加裝了兩具玻璃纖維製,高度達到37公尺的風帆翼(WindWings),這是由英國BAR科技公司(BAR Technologies) 開發,由亞拉海陸科技(Yara Marine Technologies)生產的開創性技術。.

風帆翼與飛機翼結構有點像,氣流吹過之後會形成不同的壓力差,也就出現推力。

開發人員表示,在平均情況下,借助風帆翼,可以使船舶每天節省3噸燃油,相當於燃料消耗和二氧化碳排放量減少30%,,國際航運界人士表示,值得推廣使用,希望舉辦研討會,增加資訊透明度以及公開「羅盤海洋號」(Pyxis Ocean),橫渡太平洋的相關技術資料以利投資人瞭解,增加投資開發的意願.

.Pyxis Ocean, a 2017-built 80,962 dwt bulker chartered by Cargill, has become the first ship to be fitted with BAR Technologies’ WindWings. The vessel, which is owned by Mitsubishi Corporation subsidiary MC Shipping, was retrofitted with the two hard sails at a COSCO shipyard in China and is now en route to Brazil.

“The maritime industry is on a journey to decarbonize—it’s not an easy one, but it is an exciting one,” said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s Ocean transportation business. “At Cargill we have a responsibility to pioneer decarbonizing solutions across all our supply chains to meet our customer’s needs and the needs of the planet. A technology like WindWings doesn’t come without risk, and as an industry leader – in partnership with visionary shipowner MC Shipping – 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.”

Mitsubishi Corporation’s 2017-built panamax bulk carrier Pyxis Ocean will be the first vessel retrofitted with BAR Technologies’ wind propulsion technology WindWings, on a charter with development partner, Cargill.

Yara Marine Technologies will deliver two WindWings sails as part of a collaboration launched in 2019 between Cargill and MC Shipping’s Singapore branch – the shipping arm of Mitsubishi Corporation – with the deployment expected at the beginning of 2023.

The partners said that with vessels up to nine years in age comprising 55% of the world’s bulk carrier fleet, and 51% of all ships on the water, the industry is in dire need of retrofit solutions capable of decarbonising existing ships..

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WingWings, Cargill and BAR Technologies’ ground-breaking innovation, sets sail on open waters, testing new technology that will bring cutting edge wind propulsion to commercial shipping for the first time. .

Cargill-chartered Pyxis Ocean sets sails with WindWings set to save 3 tonnes of fuel a day.

The installation of the wings took place at the COSCO shipyard in China and the Pyxis Ocean is now on the water, conducting her maiden voyage from China to Brazil.

https://youtu.be/KNZlQXBvQCk?si=6ByWHPb61EZS1IXs..

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