Residents of the Atlantic Seaboard likely noticed the MV Berge Olympus anchored offshore today. This UK-flagged dry bulk carrier holds the distinction of being the world’s most powerful sailing cargo ship.
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The Berge Olympus, a bulk carrier vessel, has been retrofitted with four advanced BARTech WindWings, an innovative wind-assisted propulsion technology.
These WindWings are large, rigid sails designed to harness wind energy, thus significantly reducing the vessel’s reliance on traditional fuel and minimising its carbon emissions.

The Berge Olympus sails between Brazil and China, navigating a trade route renowned for its favourable wind conditions.
WindWings are large, rigid sails that can be adjusted to optimise the ship’s aerodynamic performance.
Each of the four WindWings spans 20 meters in width and towers at an impressive 37.5 meters in height, making them taller than a 10-story building and a striking feature on the ship’s silhouette.
The combined surface area of the four WindWings is a staggering 3,000 square meters. To put that into perspective, it’s more than three times the surface area of the wings of an A380 airplane, which measures 843 square meters.
The WindWings technology boasts impressive fuel savings of up to 20%, translating to a significant reduction of 19.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions per day on average across global routes.
The installation of WindWings represents a pivotal step in Berge Bulk’s journey towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2025.
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Picture: Peter Flentov/Facebook