Turku, Finland,
headquartered Deltamarin and WindWings developer BAR Technologies have unveiled
a wind-optimized Aframax/LRIII hull design, the Aquilo, that
promises to take the fuel savings delivered by wind assistance to a whole new
level.
BAR Technologies
WindWings were in the news last year with two impressive retrofits. Back in
August, Pyxis Ocean, a 2017-built 80,962 dwt bulker chartered by
Cargill, became the first ship to sail with
WindWings after being retrofitted with two of the hard sails.. Then, in
October 2024, Berge Bulk’s 211,153 dwt, 2018-built Newcastlemax bulker Berge
Olympus, became the world’s most powerful wind-assisted ship after being fitted with four WingSails with a
total surface area more than three times that of the wings of an A380 airplane.
Introduced at an event in London 13 Feb, the
new wind-optimized Aquilo design integrates state-of-the-art hull design with
the WindWings technology. Seeing uncovered potential in both existing ships
and new builds, the collaboration focused on rethinking the concept design
while optimizing hull and propulsion for substantial wind assistance.
The design ensures aerodynamic optimization through
the positioning of the four WindWings and the AeroBridge, a novel,
aerodynamically superior, deck house design. The hull’s main dimensions and characteristics
have been optimized for operation with significant wind assistance.
According to
Deltamarin, the Aquilo advancements “collectively contribute to a remarkable
improvement in fuel efficiency. The simulations indicate a day consumption of
less than 26.8 tonnes per day at 14.5 knots and around 12.6 tonnes per day at
12 knots in an average global route, which positions Aquilo as the new
benchmark in sustainable ship design.”
Tags: AeroBridge, Aquilo, BAR Technologies, Deltamarin, wind-assisted propulsion, wind-optimized, WindWings