BAR Technologies, Yara Marine press ahead with wind propulsion system

UK-based marine engineering consultancy BAR Technologies and Norwegian marine technology firm Yara Marine have developed a wind-assisted propulsion system that will now be retrofitted on several vessels.

PHOTO: Model of Mitsubishi's Pyxis Ocean with Yara Marine's wind-assisted propulsion systems. Yara Marine

The bulk carrier Pyxis Ocean will be the first vessel to be retrofitted with the wind-assisted propulsion system, and will have two of them installed. The vessel is owned by Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corporation.

Four systems will later be installed on the bulk carrier Berge Olympus, which is owned by Singapore-based shipping company Berge Bulk. These installations are scheduled in the first half of next year.

Each system can reduce a vessel's carbon dioxide emission by an average 4.7 mt/day when heavy fuel oil is used for a vessel’s main propulsion in an internal combustion engine, BAR Technologies claims. The firm argues that this can help shipowners meet the new Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) regulation which comes into force from January next year, it says.

The regulation mandates shipowners to calculate an Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) for each of their vessels, with a view to grant them a CII rating between A-E, wherein A is the best rated.

By Shilpa Sharma

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