PREVIEW

The cleaner, greener future of shipping is here - and it’s sailing.
Ocean transportation firm Cargill has been testing the Pyxis Ocean for six months - with the revolutionary vessel utilising ‘WindWings’, large solid windsails developed by BAR Technologies.
Test results released on Wednesday (13March2024) show the MC Shipping Kamsarmax vessel, which was retrofitted with the WindWings, has saved an average of 3 tonnes of fuel per day.
“We are encouraged by the results and have learned a great deal about implementing wind assisted propulsion on dry bulk vessels,” said Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business.
“We could never have done this alone – BAR Technologies and MC Shipping and have been fantastic partners in making the Pyxis Ocean a reality as well as the captain and crew. We are on the leading edge of change in the shipping industry and believe technologies that harness the wind could be an important, cost-effective way to achieve our decarbonization goals in the short, medium and long-term.”
The Pyxis Ocean hit open waters in August 2023 and during the first six months of testing it has sailed the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, North and South Atlantic, and passed Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope.
The WindWings measure 37.5 metres in height and resemble large airplane wings. The wings are installed vertically to catch the wind and propel the ship forward, allowing the ship’s engine to be turned down so that the ship can travel at the same speed as a conventional ship using less fuel.
A simple traffic light system tells the crew when to raise or lower the sails - which they do via a control panel on the bridge.
Once raised, the operation is fully automated: sensors onboard constantly measure the wind, and the sails self-adjust to the optimal configuration.
John Cooper, BAR Technologies CEO added, “The results of the Pyxis Ocean’s first voyage with WindWings installed clearly demonstrate that wind assisted propulsion can secure significant fuel savings and emissions reduction.”

Cargill will continue the testing and experimenting of operational, technical and commercial aspects of the Pyxis Ocean with a view to installing the WindWings on further vessels.