Berge Bulk unveils retrofitted sailing cargo ship

James Marshall-led Berge Bulk has shown off its retrofitted newcastlemax bulker, Berge Olympus, which now houses four BARTech WindWings by Yara Marine Technologies. The WindWings installation is part of Berge Bulk’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2025 with the shipowner claiming today the Berge Olympus is the world’s most powerful sailing cargo ship.

With four WindWings installed, the Berge Olympus will save six tonnes of fuel per day on an average worldwide route and, in the process, reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 19.5 tonnes per day. With these fuel savings and CO2 reductions, Berge Bulk is evaluating the potential of installing WindWings on more of its vessels that trade on routes with favourable wind conditions.

Berge Olympus will sail between Brazil and China – a trade route known for having favourable wind conditions.   Each of the four WindWings is 20 m wide and 37.5 m tall, which is taller than a 10-story building.

The total surface area of the four wings is 3,000 m2, which is more than three times the surface area of the wings of an A380 airplane.

In addition to the installation of the WindWings, Berge Olympus has been retrofitted with a shaft generator system. The shaft generator is driven by the main engine to supply electric power to the vessel, thus saving fuel and reducing emissions. With a 1MW capacity, it is sized to eliminate the need to operate auxiliary engines while at sea.