DNV has awarded a full design certificate to WindWings propulsion technology, paving the way for the rigid sails to be fitted to two bulkers.
The classification society has given a Type Approval Design Certificate (TADC) to the WindWings, developed by BAR Technologies (BARTech), that will be produced by Yara Marine Technologies. It upgrades them from an approval in principle given in 2021.
The full approval gives a clear route forward for the technology to be installed on any DNV-classed vessel, either as a retrofit or on newbuilds, the companies said.
The installation will go ahead soon on the 81,000-dwt kamsarmax Pyxis Ocean (built 2017), owned by MC Shipping and chartered by Cargill, followed by the 211,200-dwt Berge Olympus (built 2018), a newcastlemax owned by Berge Bulk.
BARTech and Yara Marine said the work to achieve the next level of DNV certification involved validating the wings’ design compliance with full detail on construction, loading analysis, materials and supporting technical systems and their redundancy.
“Securing TADC is a key milestone for the evolution of WindWings technology, as we move towards installation on the … Pyxis Ocean,” said Lauren Eatwell, head of engineering at BARTech.
It has been a long journey to certification, she said, but the patented technology “is now in a position for rapid roll-out to support fleet emissions reduction”.
Eatwell said the two ships fitted with the system will be able to secure fuel savings of about 1.5 tonnes per wing per day on an average worldwide route, equivalent to reduced CO2 emissions of around 4.65 tonnes.
