• AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    9 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    In one recent trial, the 751-foot bulk carrier Pyxis Ocean operated by Cargill was retrofitted with two rigid sails, known as WindWings, inspired by those found on modern America’s Cup racers.

    John Cooper, the CEO of BAR Technologies, which developed the WindWings, says it took considerable engineering and computer modeling to move the concept from high-tech racing boats to a commercial bulk carrier.

    On its first voyage last month after it was retrofitted, the 5-year-old Pyxis Ocean hit 16.2 knots (18.6 miles per hour) with the WindWings working in tandem with the ship’s engine running at minimum power, Cooper says.

    MC Shipping, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp., owns the Pyxis Ocean, but Cargill, which operates it on long-term lease, agreed to put up the money for the WindWings installation, with help from a small EU subsidy.

    On a retrofitted ship, such as the Pyxis Ocean, it could take anywhere from seven to 10 years to recoup the initial investment of wing technology, “which is not extremely sexy for the average commercial operator in this industry,” Dieleman acknowledges.

    Despite those potential obstacles, earlier this year the French firm Zéphyr & Borée placed an order with South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai for five purpose-designed container windships with methanol-fueled engines.


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