Oceanbird to Install Two Wing Sails on Car Carrier in 2027
Key Takeaways
- •Oceanbird plans to fit two wing sails on the 2024-built car carrier Way Forward in 2027.
- •The vessel is chartered by Volkswagen Konzernlogistik and operated by Wallenius Marine.
- •The project is Oceanbird’s first multi-wing installation after a single-wing trial on Tirranna in June 2026.
- •Oceanbird said the sails are designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions during commercial operation.
- •The company said a pair of sails could cut fuel use by up to half on windy routes over an entire journey.
Swedish wind propulsion firm Oceanbird, a joint venture of Wallenius Lines and Alfa Laval, will install two wing sails on a car carrier in 2027.
The company said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that the project marks Oceanbird’s first multi-wing installation.
The sails will be fitted on Way Forward, a 2024-built car carrier chartered by Volkswagen Konzernlogistik and operated by Wallenius Marine.
The project follows Oceanbird’s first onboard wing installation in June 2026, when a single wing sail was fitted on Tirranna. The installation was completed successfully, with performance data due to be verified by an independent third party during autumn.
Oceanbird said the two wing sails will provide wind-assisted propulsion and help reduce fuel consumption and emissions during commercial operation, adding another test case for a technology that shipping lines are increasingly evaluating as they look for ways to cut fuel use on long-haul routes.
“This marks our first multi-wing installation and an important step towards our vision of a primary wind-powered vessel,” Amrit Kaur Bhullar, CEO of Oceanbird, said.
Oceanbird’s wing sails are designed to work together, and the company said a set of sails could provide enough propulsion on windy routes to cut fuel consumption by up to half over an entire journey.
