KAWASAKI Kisen Kaisha has signed a contract with Airseas for the installation of three Seawings on bulk carriers.
The Seawing is an automatic kite system that can tow ships, thereby reducing their use of fuel and carbon dioxide emissions. The first installation of the Seawing was completed last year.
K Line had already committed to installing Seawings on two of its Capesize bulkers before it signed this latest contract to install additional units on post-Panamax bulkers. It announced the first installation of the system in 2019.
The company said it expected the Seawings to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20%.
The company said the first implementation of the device is scheduled for a Capesize bulker in December.
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Also, K Line and Airseas signed a technology co-operation partnership agreement to integrate K Line’s vessel data to its Kawasaki Integrated Maritime Solutions platform to maximise performance of the systems.
Airseas co-founder and CEO Vincent Bernatets said: “K Line recognises that ships being built now will need to meet the decarbonisation standards of the 2040s and 2050s, as regulators and customers step up pressure for the industry to decarbonise. Wind propulsion systems like the Seawing help lay the long-term foundations for the sustainable shipping of the future by reducing emissions right now, in addition to delivering a strong return on investment in the short term via fuel savings”.
