Wind Power News

Clippership, a company developing autonomous wind powered ships, announced it has completed the design of its first 24-meter class vessel, and executed a construction contract for the first cargo vessel with Dutch shipyard KM Yachtbuilders.The 24-meter class features twin, foldable rigid wings for primary wind propulsion and is designed for open-ocean autonomy. The vessel has a cargo capacity of up to 75 Euro-pallets within its climate-controlled cargo hold. It will be built in…

The world’s largest wind-powered, industrial-scale, roll on/roll off vessel Neoliner Origin has returned for its second visit to the only U.S. port it is calling, the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore.The ship, which uses sails as main propulsion, is operating a monthly service between Saint Nazaire (France) and Baltimore, with stops along the way to Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and Halifax.“It’s a great honor to be the first and only U.S. port for Neoliner Origin,” said Maryland Port Administration Executive Director Jonathan Daniels.

bound4blue, a leader in wind propulsion systems, has closed a $44 million funding round backed by leading maritime corporates, ship owning families, climate-focused investors and government capital. The round was led by OCTAVE Capital, an investment platform affiliated with major shipowner: IMC, and Katapult Ocean. The round brings together new investors including Motion Ventures, Odfjell family office and ReOcean Fund, led by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Monaco Asset Management…

Britain has rejected a 25 billion pound ($34.39 billion) Moroccan renewable energy project that would have used solar and wind power from the Sahara to supply up to seven million UK homes.The British government, which is aiming to largely decarbonise its electricity sector by 2030, said on Thursday it believed domestic projects could offer better economic benefits."The government has concluded that it is not in the UK national interest at this time to continue further consideration of support for the Morocco-UK Power Project," energy department minister Michael Shanks said in a written stateme

A record 117 gigawatts of wind power capacity was installed worldwide last year, slightly more than in 2023, but far less than needed to achieve goals to decarbonise energy, a report by the Global Wind Energy Council said on Wednesday.WHY IT'S IMPORTANTThe world needs to shift to renewable sources, including wind and solar, to contain global warming.Many organisations, including the GWEC, have said the current rate of progress is not enough. It says a goal of installing 320 GW…

Stena Line has announced the concept for a new generation vessel: Stena Futuro, a 240-meter-long roro intended for transporting semi-trailers and cars.The hull and superstructure have been optimized to achieve the most efficient use of cargo space possible. At the same time, low weight and optimized hydro- and aerodynamics are central to achieving low fuel consumption.In addition to the vessel’s design, Stena Futuro will be equipped with technology to limit its environmental footprint.

Following the launch of the new 20m and 24m WindWings in September 2024, BAR Technologies and CM Energy Tech Co., Ltd (CMET) entered into a collaboration agreement to begin production of these models, responding to the surge in market demand from shipowners and operators of Handymax bulkers, chemical tankers, and general cargo vessels. The introduction of these new models is aimed at broadening the vessel range able to access wind-assisted propulsion is accessible to a broader…

A new report from the UCL Energy Institute has highlighted the looming risk of maritime asset stranding, stating that a rapid energy transition could “lead to ‘premature scrapping’ of over a third of the fleet, valued at over $400 billion, unless they undergo costly retrofits to remain competitive in the wake of new GHG policies and wider energy transition.”The report reveals that existing vessels and newbuilds on order will produce double the emissions permissible under a 1.5°C-aligned carbon budget…

The Pyxis Ocean has made its first docking in Brazil with its new metal sails installed.The bulk carrier docked at the Port of Paranaguá in Brazil on Sunday, September 24. It has metal sails 37.5 meters high and is chartered by Cargill. After loading, it will transport its cargo of 63,000 tons of soybean meal to Poland.The sail technology, BAR Tech WindWings, was developed by BAR Technologies, in partnership with Yara Marine Technologies and Mitsubishi, witn support from the European Union.The Governor of the Brazilian state of Paraná, Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior, visited the vessel last week.

The first wing sail from Oceanbird, Wing 560, has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV.“It is one of the first stiff wing sails that will tilt in hard winds as a safety feature, that gets an Approval in Principle," said Niclas Dahl, Managing Director, Oceanbird. "Therefore, it is reassuring that DNV supports our safety philosophy since we are now going from vision into realization. In just a few months, we will begin to assemble our first full-scale wing prototypes, which…

Japan-based Marubeni Corporation and bound4blue, a Spanish engineering company which manufactures and sells a wind propulsion system, have concluded entered a sales partnership.Marubeni will promote retail activities for bound4blue’s suction-type eSAILs both domestically and internationally and will act as the exclusive business partner in the Japanese market.The basic principles of eSAIL are similar to those underlying the generation of lifting power by airplane wings. The sucking of air into the eSAIL also smooths the flow of wind around its body…

RINA has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a green retrofit package designed by naval architect Aurelia in partnership with Econowind, Wattlab and Vertom.The solution incorporates rigid sails, solar panels, batteries, optimised weather-routing, and a smart decision support system developed by Hydrographic and Marine Consultants (HMC) to dramatically reduce emissions on an existing 203,000dwt Newcastlemax bulk carrier.For the Newcastlemax bulk carrier, the challenge was to meet EEXI and the CII index for the reduction of CO2 emissions.

bound4blue announced the appointment of Elias Boletis as an external advisor to the company.Boletis has a Doctorate in Applied Sciences from the University of Brussels and holds a MSc in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Athens (Greece) and a MSc in Turbomachinery and Fluid Dynamics from the Von Karman Institute (Brussels, Belgium). He has also been recognized with several industry awards and accolades for his contributions to the field such as integration of new technologies…

Veer Corp. said the American Bureau of Shipping granted an Approval in Principle, seen as a key milestone on its mission to build its fleet of clean, wind-powered ocean-going container vessels. The naval architect team at Dykstra and the project management team at Brookes Bell lead the initiative.“Receiving this AIP from a recognized organization such as ABS sets Veer apart from other conceptual projects.” says Danielle Doggett, CEO at Veer. “We are making significant progress…

ClassNK granted the Class C Innovation Endorsement Provider Certification for organizations to "K"Line Wind Service, LTD., the specialized organization for offshore wind power under Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Group.ClassNK offers its third-party Innovation Endorsement "Provider Certification", which supports innovative initiatives, to companies and organizations. As companies pursue ESG-oriented management and SDGs, ClassNK conducts the third-party certification on the initiatives…

The M/V EEMS Traveller, owned and operated by the Dutch shipowner Amasus Shipping, will start harnessing the power of wind. The 91 meters length general cargo vessel will be retrofitted with two 17-metre-high eSAILs during a port call in 2022. A similar unit was installed by bound4blue in December 2021 on M/V La Naumon, being the largest suction sail ever built and installed on a ship.The suction sails are expected to reduce the 2,850 dwt ship’s fuel costs and annual CO2 emissions by up to 30 percent in favorable trade routes.

Global supplier of wind propulsion, Anemoi Marine, believes Rotor Sails - which are unique, tall cylindrical sails that can be installed on the deck of commercial vessels - offer an immediate and compelling solution for shipowners working to reduce vessel emissions.Anemoi estimates that a VLCC with six Rotor Sails would reduce fuel and emissions by approximately 14.9% (c.1,889 tonnes fuel and c.6,058 tonnes of carbon) per year, based on a Bonny-Ningbo round trip.When considering fuel savings for bulk carriers…

Bureau Veritas (BV) delivered an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Zéphyr & Borée for its first open-top 1,800 TEU containership.The 185m containershihp is designed with five cargo holds, mostly open-top. Propulsion means are compliant with IMO’s Tier III requirements, and the vessel is equipped with shaft generators and a heat recovery system that minimizes fuel consumption. The vessel’s propulsion system will be assisted by eight sails provided by CWS (Computed Wing Sails). The design is a thick…

What: Natural Propulsion in Ship DesignWhen: November 16, 2021Where: Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY (broadcast live)Hosts: Webb Institute, Marin Institute, and Wind Support NYCA new conference on the use of natural propulsion in the global shipping industry will take place in New York on November 16, 2021, hosted by Webb Institute in Glen Cove, NY, and broadcast live.The conference aims to introduce to the audience the design of hybrid merchant ships capable of harnessing free and renewable energies available onboard – wind…

As the maritime industry strives toward 2050 and strict new emission regulations, driving toward decarbonization, a number of 'future fuels' are emerging that show promise. It is generally agreed that a solution will not be born in a vacuum, with collaboration being the key to meaningful movement. In that regard, this morning, two maritime power players -- Alfa Lava and Wallenius -- announced their intent to form a new 50/50 joint venture called  AlfaWall Oceanbird that will focus…

TR Lady Shipping Ltd, a portfolio company of Tufton Investment Management Ltd (“Tufton”), signed a contract Anemoi Marine Technologies to supply and fit the bulk carrier TR Lady with three large Rotor Sails and Anemoi’s patented Rail Deployment System, a system designed to allow the Rotor Sails to be moved across the deck to minimize impact on port operations.TR Lady is a CS Marine design 82,000DWT Kamsarmax bulker, built in 2017 by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, and managed by Tufton. TR Lady will be retrofitted with the Rotor Sails during scheduled dry docking of the vessel.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen said Wednesday it plans to build the world`s first full-scale wind-powered RoRo vessel - the Orcelle Wind - in what the company said was its "most ambitious sustainability initiative to date."According to Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the Orcelle Wind – a wind-powered Pure Car and Truck Carrier - will achieve up to 90% reduced emissions compared to "today’s best vessels.""Our goal is to have a design ready for contracting with a shipyard by mid-2022, and a finished vessel ready for the high seas by 2025…

As the maritime industry grapples with the technology and technique to meet increasingly strict emission mandates, eConowind is working to deliver an innovative wind sail system.In step with the development, Liebherr delivered what is currently the largest worm-driven slewing drive units in the world for the sailing system by eConowind. Inspired by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, eConowind develops an innovative sailing system that is intended to revolutionize commercial shipping. Up to 40 meters high, futuristic metal sails serve as propulsion support for cargo ships.