Union Maritime installs WAPS on a tanker

UK-based marine engineering firm BAR Technologies has fitted its wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS) on a new tanker for Union Maritime.

IMAGE: Union Maritime’s tanker equipped with rigid sails. LinkedIn of BAR Technologies’ chief executive John Cooper

The Long Range (LR) tanker under construction at China’s Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings has been equipped with rigid sails—also known as solid or wing sails—a wind-assisted propulsion technology that harnesses wind energy to support ship movement.

The sails were manufactured by BAR Technologies’ partner, CM Energy Tech, in Haimen, China.

However, the company has not revealed further details about the operation, such as the number of rigid sails installed or the vessel’s name.

The rigid sails are expected to “save an average of 1.5 tonnes [1.5 mt] of fuel per wing per day,” according to BAR Technologies’ chief executive John Cooper.

In July, BAR Technologies secured an order to install its WAPS on two Long Range 2 (LR2) tankers owned by Union Maritime.

By Tuhin Roy

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