What Is The New Cargo Ship Powered By Wind?

A new cargo ship design is making waves in the shipping industry with its unique use of wind power technology. The OceanBird is a cargo ship concept developed by Wallenius Marine that utilizes wind as its sole source of propulsion (Wallenius Marine). This innovative vessel eliminates the need for fossil fuels by harnessing the renewable power of the wind. With capacities for transporting 7,000 cars at once, OceanBird demonstrates the potential for wind propulsion systems to transform cargo shipping into a more sustainable industry.

Unlike traditional sailing ships, OceanBird utilizes cutting-edge rigid sails that can be adjusted to best capture wind energy. These high-tech rigid sails can rotate and are integrated with an advanced control system to optimize sailing performance. While still in the design phase, OceanBird represents a pioneering approach to cargo transport through its successful integration of modern technology and an age-old power source – the wind.

The Ship’s Design

The new wind-powered cargo ship called the Pyxis Ocean was designed by Anemoi Marine Technologies. They designed large, rigid sails that are installed on the ship called Wind Wings. According to the BBC, the Wind Wings stand at 180 feet tall and operate using wind energy that rotates cylinders on the sails to generate electricity on board the ship.

The Wind Wings are constructed out of steel and aluminum and can be lowered when the ship goes through the Panama Canal or into a port. They also feature sensors and automated control systems to optimize sailing. The sails are able to provide auxiliary wind propulsion to the ship’s engines.

The Pyxis Ocean is the first ship to utilize Wind Wings technology, representing a pioneering endeavour in wind propulsion for cargo ships. The design of the sails and integration with the ship’s systems enable it to effectively harness the power of the wind to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Wind Power Technology

The new cargo ship utilizes cutting-edge wind power technology in the form of high-tech rotor sails designed by Norsepower. These five massive, 24-meter tall spinning cylinders are installed on the deck of the ship. They function like the sails on a sailboat, using the wind’s aerodynamic forces to provide thrust. But instead of canvas sails, they use a push-button system that rotates the cylindrical rotors to find the optimal angle to maximize wind propulsion from any direction (source).

The rotors have a patented blade design that optimizes airflow. As the wind blows across the spinning cylinders, the Magnus effect generates a pressure difference that pushes the rotors—and thus the ship—forward. This provides supplementary power in addition to the main engine, resulting in decreased fuel consumption and emissions (source). The rotors can generate thrust even when moving slower than the wind, and automatically orient themselves to maximize this thrust from any direction.

Eco-Friendly Benefits

One of the biggest advantages of wind powered cargo ships is their eco-friendly design that substantially reduces emissions compared to traditional cargo ships. According to NPR, cargo ships equipped with WindWings are estimated to reduce emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel-powered ships. This is because the WindWings allow ships to rely predominantly on clean wind energy instead of fossil fuels.

Specifically, the WindWings can reduce fuel consumption and associated CO2 emissions by 30-40%. Over longer routes, emission reductions could be even higher. This has massive benefits for improving air quality, public health, and reducing the shipping industry’s carbon footprint. Given maritime shipping accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, wind propulsion technologies like this will be critical for the industry to decarbonize.

Compared to other clean energy options like batteries or biofuels, the WindWings offer greater emission reductions at a lower cost currently. This makes wind power one of the most viable and scalable solutions for slashing emissions from massive cargo ships in the near future. With wind being a free and renewable energy source, it provides a sustainable way to power cargo vessels with minimal environmental impact.

Cost Savings

The WindWing technology can lead to substantial cost savings for shipping companies by reducing fuel usage. According to one source, “Wind-powered cargo ships with sail-like ‘wings’ could reduce fuel use by 30%” (Source). The rigid sails are able to harness wind power and supplement the ship’s engine propulsion. This means less fuel is burned during voyages. For example, Cargill reported a 30% reduction in fuel consumption on the maiden voyage of their new wind-powered bulk carrier equipped with WindWings (Source). The fuel savings directly translate into lower operating costs for shipping companies.

Speed and Cargo Capacity

The new wind powered cargo ship can travel at speeds of 10-12 knots, which is slower than traditional diesel powered cargo ships that average 15-25 knots. However, the operators emphasize that speed is not their priority – the focus is on providing zero-emission transoceanic shipping. Despite the slower speed, the cargo capacity of the wind powered ship is impressive.

The ship can transport over 7,000 cars at one time, which is similar to standard roll-on/roll-off cargo ships. By utilizing the sail power in addition to engine power, the vessel is able to maximize cargo space instead of needing large fuel tanks. The cargo hold is extremely spacious at 60,000 cubic meters. The operators note that transporting goods by wind is not much slower than shipping was 150 years ago, but now has the environmental benefits.

Routes and Deployments

The Pyxis Ocean, one of the first wind-powered cargo ships, is currently operating on routes between the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It primarily carries grain and other agricultural goods between Europe and North America. According to
CNN, the Pyxis Ocean set sail on its maiden voyage in August 2022 from the Port of Immingham, England to Georgetown, Canada. It then traveled back across the Atlantic to Santander, Spain and returned to Immingham in October 2022.

The ship’s operator, Cargill, has stated the Pyxis Ocean will continue operating on the North Atlantic route between Europe and North America. There are plans to eventually expand operations to routes connecting Europe, North America, and Asia as well. For now, the maiden voyages have demonstrated the feasibility and fuel efficiency benefits of wind propulsion on transatlantic shipping routes.

Future Expansion Plans

The company behind the new wind-powered cargo ship, Anemoi Marine Technologies, has bold plans for expanding its fleet of wind-assisted vessels. According to their CEO, there are plans to build over 30 wind-powered cargo ships in the next 5 years.(1) The goal is to launch new routes between Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Australia. Specific planned routes include transatlantic crossings between Europe and North or South America as well as transpacific routes between Asia and North America.

The company is actively pursuing partnerships with major shipping and logistics companies to help scale up deployment of their wind propulsion technology. They aim to prove the economic viability of wind propulsion and have it adopted across the entire global shipping industry. If the technology succeeds as hoped, wind-assisted ships could account for over 30% of the global cargo fleet by 2030.(2) This would significantly reduce emissions from ocean shipping and help the industry meet carbon reduction goals.

Challenges and Limitations

While wind-powered cargo ships offer enormous potential environmental benefits, there are still some obstacles to the widespread adoption of this technology. According to an article on Earth.org, the primary challenges revolve around the risks and uncertainties involved.

Since wind-powered vessels like the Oceanbird are still new and untested on long voyages, shipping companies may be hesitant to take the risk of investing in this technology. There are concerns about the reliability of the technology and how the ships will perform in extreme weather conditions.

Additionally, the upfront costs of building new wind-powered vessels remain high. The infrastructure and skills needed to operate and maintain these ships also requires significant investment. Port facilities will likely need upgrades to properly service wind-powered vessels as well.

While early prototypes like the Oceanbird demonstrate the potential, more research and development is still needed to refine the technology, improve performance, and bring down costs before wind-powered ships are commercially viable on a large scale.

The Future of Wind Powered Ships

Wind power technology shows great promise for the future of cargo shipping. Although still in the early stages, wind propulsion is gaining traction as a renewable, cost-effective power source for cargo vessels (source). Experts predict substantial growth in wind-assisted and hybrid wind-electric propulsion over the next decade.

Large shipping companies like Maersk are investing heavily in R&D for modern sail and rotor sail technology. By 2030, industry analysts forecast that over 5% of the global fleet could be equipped with wind power. Some predict we could see up to 10,000 wind-assisted vessels by 2030, compared to just a few dozen currently (source).

Many view wind propulsion as an essential step toward decarbonization and meeting emissions targets in the maritime sector. With increasing urgency to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, green technologies like wind power are gaining priority. While not yet feasible for all routes and vessel types, wind-assisted ships are projected to play a substantial role in building a more sustainable cargo fleet.