Finnish-UK duo to harness wind power potential on new Aframax/LRII design

UK tech provider BAR Technologies has joined forces with Finnish ship design and engineering firm Deltamarin to incorporate wind propulsion on a new build design, Aframax/LRII. 

As explained, above deck, there have been great strides in design that harnesses the potential of wind propulsion. With this new hull design, BAR Technologies and Delatmarin’s early predictions suggest that as much as 10 tonnes of fuel per day can be saved with an Aframax/LRII hull and 4 WindWings using a North America/ Rotterdam roundtrip as an example. 

“Wind is the free fuel, and it is the gauntlet laid down in front of innovators like ourselves to work out how we can displace fossil fuels with wind power,” said John Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, BAR Technologies.

“It has been a privilege to partner with the best shipyards to retrofit WindWings, and we are especially excited to partner with the best ocean-going naval architects for big ship design in Deltamarin and that the Aframax/LRII is the first of many announcements.” 

“The opportunities moving forward with wind power are vast. Being familiar with BAR Technologies’ expert innovation in wind propulsion, we are delighted to collaborate on what both companies see as the next vital stage for wind-assisted sea travel: hull optimisation. So far, we have made fine progress in harnessing wind power using sails, but we are finding increased performance all the time and, with this hull design, we are witnessing a 15% improvement against our current fleet,” Esa Jokioinen, Director, Sales and Marketing at Deltamarin, added.

The use of sails to reduce fuel consumption and thereby help decarbonise shipping is a very popular method employed by innovators and vessel owners.

However, progress towards maximum efficiency depends upon full consideration of variable factors, such as the type of vessel and the route it is taking. To get closer to the best solution in general, there must be more research on how performance can be improved under the water’s surface. 

The announcement comes on the back of a previous collaboration on WindWings which, with a saving of approximately 1.5 tonnes of fuel per wing per day, will debut on the Pyxis Ocean.

Deltamarin has carried out ship side concept design of the retrofit including the needed analyses for structural matters, stability, other ship integration-related issues and seakeeping.

The companies also worked with Singapore-based dry bulk shipowner Berge Bulk on this project.

BAR Technologies and Deltamarin will now pool their concentration having seen first-hand that a large portion of both existing ships and newbuilds lack optimal hull and propulsion designs for significant wind assistance.

Looking ahead, the industry can expect to see an increase in the use of rigid wings, kites, and suction wings in the coming year, particularly on smaller vessels, according to Gavin Allwright, the International Windship Association (IWSA) Secretary General. These emerging technologies have the potential to complement and enhance the performance of rotor sails, as well as offer new solutions for reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency.

By Q4 2023, the combined tonnage will be circa 3.3 million dwt on 49 ships with 105 rigs, based on the public announcements and yard orders made by the end of 2022. These are likely to change with new project announcements/cancellations.