World’s first wind-assisted newbuild tanker arrives in Europe

The vessel arrived in Rotterdam on 8 September, completing her first European port call.

The voyage demonstrated the commercial and environmental potential of Union Maritime’s investment in wind propulsion, with the tanker achieving substantial fuel savings while maintaining service speeds in challenging conditions. In favourable weather, more than a third of propulsion was provided by wind power alone, even when fully laden, highlighting the reliability of WindWings in delivering sustained efficiency alongside impressive peak performance.

Union Maritime employed Ascenz Marorka’s sail-aware weather routing to maximise the benefits of the technology, achieving savings beyond those possible through conventional routing. On global trades, each WindWing is expected to save an average of 1.5 tonnes of fuel per day. During this inaugural voyage, however, Brands Hatch’s three WindWings delivered a combined saving of 12.8 tonnes in just 24 hours, equivalent to 13 tonnes of CO₂ avoided per wing per day. For six consecutive hours within that period, performance peaked at more than 18 tonnes of daily savings, underlining the scale of the technology’s long-term potential.

The vessel is the first in a new fleet of wind-assisted tankers being delivered to Union Maritime, which will form the largest such fleet in the world. A significant number of vessels will be equipped with WindWings, enabling the company to maintain full compliance with environmental regulations through to 2030.

To support the safe and effective deployment of wind propulsion at scale, Union Maritime launched Project AeroPower in collaboration with Anglo-Eastern, Synergy, Atlantas Ship Management and BAR Technologies. The initiative is focused on the operational integration of WindWings and associated systems across a global fleet.

Laurent Cadji, managing director of 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, chief executive of 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.”