Wind-assisted tanker with aluminium sails goes to sea

The MT Chemical Challenger, the world’s first chemical tanker ship to be equipped with rigid aluminium ‘sails’, has left Rotterdam on its maiden journey.

Chemship’s 16,000-tonne tanker aims to reduce its fuel consumption with the assistance of four 16m-high aluminium sails, which more closely resemble aircraft wings than conventional sails. It is hoped that this will cut fuel consumption by 10 to 20%, with an annual reduction of 850 tonnes of CO2.

The Chemical Challenger will undergo trials during its first journey, which ends at Istanbul.

“Today, we launch the first wind-assisted chemical tanker, which we hope will serve as an example to the rest of the world,” Chemship CEO Niels Grotz told AFP at the ship’s unveiling.

The vast majority of international shipping is powered by oil-based fuels – in 2022, the sector accounted for 2% of energy-related carbon emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. 

Although this is considered a hard-to-abate sector, in 2023 the International Maritime Organization adopted a target of reaching net zero emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, with incremental check-points in 2030 and 2040. This target is aligned with the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming to within 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Meeting this target will require rapid development and adoption of new technologies, such as battery-powered ships and ammonia fuels.

Grotz acknowledged that the sector would face a struggle to meet these targets, with shipping being an extremely competitive industry. Chemship is unlikely to make money on this project, he said.

“But we have to bring down CO2 emissions, and we decided we’re not just going to sit and wait for something magical to happen.”

According to Grotz, the project was conceived three years ago with Dutch company Econowind, which specialises in wind propulsion systems for ships. The ‘VentoFoils’ are designed with a system of vents and holes to maximise airflow in strong winds – a system that Econowind said can boost the wind’s power by a factor of five. The sails are designed to fold at the push of a button, and fold automatically above wind force seven.

The Chemical Challenger is not the first modern ship to be equipped with rigid sails – in August 2023, the cargo ship Pyxis Ocean set out on its maiden voyage from China to Brazil, part powered by rigid ‘WindWings’ sails. These 37.5m-tall sails were made from the same material as wind turbines, and – like the VentoFoils – designed to fold away when they are not needed.

Chemship has already chosen a second tanker to be fitted with VentoFoils.