Odfjell Names New Wind-Assisted Chemical Tanker
Key Takeaways
- •Bow Tanaka was named and launched at Kitanihon shipyard in Japan on July 29, according to Odfjell.
- •The new vessel is a 40,000 DWT chemical tanker with 28 stainless steel tanks.
- •Bow Tanaka is fitted with a gate rudder and foldable wind-assisted propulsion sails to help lower fuel use and emissions.
- •Odfjell said its sister vessel Bow Erikson has achieved energy-efficiency improvements of up to 50% compared with the average tanker in the segment.
- •The International Windship Association said more than 100 ships are now equipped with wind propulsion systems or are wind-ready.
Norwegian shipping company Odfjell has launched its latest 40,000 DWT chemical tanker, Bow Tanaka, in Japan.
The vessel was named and launched at Kitanihon shipyard on July 29, the company said in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday.
The 28-tank stainless steel vessel is fitted with a gate rudder and foldable wind-assisted propulsion sails, which are designed to reduce bunker fuel consumption and emissions. That places it among a growing number of vessels in the maritime sector that are being equipped with wind propulsion hardware as shipowners look for ways to cut fuel use on routes where efficiency gains can be measured in operating data rather than broad claims.
Odfjell said results from its sister vessel Bow Erikson have shown energy-efficiency improvements of up to 50% compared with the average tanker in the segment.
Wind propulsion systems use wind energy to help power ships, lowering bunker fuel use and emissions.
According to the International Windship Association, more than 100 ships are now either equipped with wind propulsion systems or classified as wind-ready, underscoring that the technology has moved beyond isolated trials and into a wider commercial fleet base.
