Wallenius Wilhelmsen Plans Wind-Powered Vehicle Carrier

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday February 18, 2021

Shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen has announced plans to build a vehicle carrier propelled primarily by wind power.

The company plans to have a design ready for its concept, the Orcelle Wind, to work with a shipyard by mid-2022, and have it in operation by 2025, it said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.

The ship -- based on the Oceanbird concept announced in September -- will have the capacity to carry 7,000 vehicles at 10-12 knots under sail, with the ability to increase that speed with a conventional engine. The design aims for 90% emissions reduction compared with a conventional vehicle carrier.

"We have the advantage of size and we have world-class customers, partners and employees," Craig Jasienski, CEO of Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said in the statement.

"It will take the dedicated collaboration of all to make such a bold initiative as the Orcelle Wind succeed. 

"More than just evaluating the concept, we are committed to making this a success."