Union Maritime Vessel with WindWings® Technology Completes Maiden Voyage to Europe

Union Maritime has announced that its newbuild tanker Brands Hatch has completed its maiden voyage equipped with BAR Technologies’ WindWings® system. The vessel arrived in Rotterdam on 8 September, marking the first European port call for a ship built with the wind propulsion technology.

During the journey, Brands Hatch demonstrated measurable fuel savings while maintaining operational speeds in varied weather conditions. According to Union Maritime, the tanker achieved more than one third of its propulsion from wind power alone in favourable conditions, even while fully laden.

The company reported that on one day of the voyage, the ship’s three WindWings® replaced 12.8 tonnes of fuel, equivalent to 4.3 tonnes per wing, avoiding approximately 13 tonnes of CO2 emissions per wing per day. Sustained peak performance of more than 18 tonnes of fuel savings per day was recorded over a six-hour period.

The voyage also incorporated sail-aware weather routing from Ascenz Marorka, which Union Maritime said delivered additional efficiency benefits compared with traditional routing methods.

Brands Hatch is the first in Union Maritime’s planned fleet of wind-assisted vessels, which the company has said will be the largest of its kind. A significant share of this fleet will be fitted with WindWings® to support compliance with international emissions standards through 2030.

To support the rollout, Union Maritime has partnered with Anglo-Eastern, Synergy, Atlantas Ship Management and BAR Technologies under Project AeroPower, aimed at facilitating the safe and broad adoption of wind propulsion systems.

Laurent Cadji, Managing Director at Union Maritime, said:
“This milestone voyage with Brands Hatch is a proud moment for Union Maritime and a clear demonstration of our leadership in bringing innovative, sustainable solutions to global shipping. The early performance results highlight the real-world potential of wind-assisted propulsion, and we are pleased to be proving its commercial and environmental value at scale. Our collaboration with BAR Technologies on the deployment of WindWings® is an important part of this journey, and together with our partners we are setting a new standard for efficiency, compliance and responsibility across the industry.”

John Cooper, BAR Technologies, added:
“The arrival of Brands Hatch in Europe really is a landmark moment, not just for us, but for everyone committed to driving maritime sustainability forward through wind propulsion. This is the first time a vessel built from the ground up with WindWings® has completed a full ocean passage, proving that wind propulsion is ready for commercial-scale use. What makes this even more significant is the collaboration behind it. We’re proud to have worked with Union Maritime and their partners to bring this to life, not only delivering innovation but delivering results.

On her maiden voyage, Brands Hatch shows what we’ve believed from the start: that WindWings® are a practical, scalable solution to shipping’s decarbonisation challenge. They were never just a concept for the future; they’re delivering exactly as we always knew they would.”