Cargill looks to equip cargo vessels with wind sails

Multinational commodities giant Cargill may roll out sails on cargo ships to reduce fuel consumption, Bloomberg reports. The 80k ton bulk carrier, dubbed Pyxis Ocean, was fitted with two 123-ft-high steel and composite glass sails last year. The use of the sails can save up to three tons of fuel — worth some USD 1.7k — a day, according to Bloomberg’s estimates. The sails can be tacked onto existing ships and the trading firm is currently exploring adding the wind-assisted propulsion to five large green methanol-fuelled ships, president of Cargill’s ocean transportation business Jan Dieleman told Bloomberg. Cargill first partnered with Bar Technology to develop wind propulsion tech for commercial shipping in late 2020, according to a statement.