According to the World Bank, shipping is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), accounting for around three percent of global GHG emissions annually.
As a response to this, from 1 January 2023 it will be mandatory for all ships to calculate their Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) to measure their energy efficiency and to initiate the collection of data for the reporting of their annual operational carbon intensity indicator (CII) and CII rating.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim said:
“Decarbonizing international shipping is a priority issue for IMO and we are all committed to acting together in revising our strategy and enhancing our ambition. These latest amendments build on IMO energy-efficiency measures which were first adopted in 2011 and strengthened since – the CII and EEXI measures represent the next stage in our work to meet the targets set in the Initial IMO GHG Strategy.”
That’s a nice sentiment, but how will technology help to reduce emissions? Well there once was an age of shipping where trade was powered by sails. Could the famous clipper ships, like the Cutty Sark be inspiration for a new sail-powered supply chain?
The sailing industry goes through trends and phases. Circa 2008, shipping companies were testing kites as a way to reduce emissions, but if you’ve ever been to a busy kitesurfing beach or dropped your spinnaker in the water you can get an idea why a massive bucket of material attached to hundreds of meters of string might not be the most practical solution.
More recently, professional sailing events like the America’s Cup have been using hard wing sails to achieve a new level of efficiency. Several of the America’s Cup team have used their investment in R&D to spin-off these technologies for use in the wider marine industry.
BAR Technologies is itself a spin-off, with its roots in Ben Ainslie Racing, a competitor in the 35th America’s Cup. Look a little deeper and you will find connections to another high-tech sport – Formula 1. The BAR Technologies leadership team includes Martin Whitmarsh, who, among other roles was former Team Principal of McLaren.
BAR Technologies have teamed up with, Yara Marine Technologies, to announce the ‘first cut’ of the steelwork for the first production run of BAR’s WindWings. “The WindWings system combines dynamic multi-element wings and advanced route optimization to harness the power of the wind.”
In 2023, two WindWings will be installed on MC Shipping-owned vessel the Pyxis Ocean, and four WindWings will be installed on the Berge Olympus owned by Berge Bulk.
According to a statement:
The installation of WindWings allows operators to save c1.5 tonnes of fuel per WindWing per day on average global routes. This directly facilitates a significant contribution to CO2 reduction in the shipping industry – with c4.7 tonnes of CO2 saved per WindWing per day assuming the use of heavy fuel oil for main propulsion.
The failure of COP27 to reach consensus on phasing down fossil fuels has reminded us of the imperative to keep innovating at an industry level in order to reach our goals for decarbonising global bulk shipping. However, with the CII regulations set to come into force in January 2023, vessel owners are not in a position to just do nothing – they must have a plan for emissions and manage this planning within set deadlines. The positive news is that with technologies like WindWings, alongside much of the work being done into future powertrains, vessel owners have options on the table to be able to adapt quickly, reducing the risk of stranded assets.
John Cooper, CEO at BAR Technologies.
Thomas Koniordos, CEO at Yara Marine Technologies added…
“Berge Bulk’s decision to equip its Newcastlemax bulker Berge Olympus with four WindWings shows that wind-assisted propulsion is one of the key technologies in their transition strategy towards Net Zero. We are very proud to support our customer in reducing the emissions from Berge Olympus by 19 tonnes of CO2 per day on an average route. This is a major result for decarbonisation of this bulk carrier,”
“The interest in WindWings from the industry is thrilling and we are happy with the progress we achieved in the value chain to ensure the ready availability of this technology to meet the needs of the shipping industry worldwide.”