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Business of climate change
Business

Green shipping: China Merchants to build emission-cutting propulsion system for UK-based BAR Tech

  • The Chinese firm will manufacture WindWings, a wind-assisted propulsion and route optimisation system
  • The system can save up to 1.5 tonnes of fuel per sail per day for a daily reduction of 4.9 tonnes in carbon-dioxide emissions

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Berge Olympus, a dry bulk vessel retrofitted with wind power-assisted sailing equipment for carbon emissions reduction. Handout photo
Eric Ng
UK-based BAR Technologies (BAR Tech) has partnered with state-backed China Merchants Group for manufacturing of energy efficient equipment that will meet the fast-growing decarbonisation demands of China’s shipping sector.

CM Energy Tech (CMET), a subsidiary of China Merchants, will manage and oversee the production of Portsmoouth-based BAR Tech’s wind-assisted propulsion and route optimisation system, called WindWings, in China.

The two companies are seeking to deploy the seeking to deploy the product in both new vessels and existing fleets in China, home to the world’s largest maritime fleet in terms of gross tonnage.
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“In looking at where we manufacture our WindWings, we recognised we have to align our production with the leading nations in global shipping construction,” BAR Tech CEO John Cooper said in a joint statement.

“China Merchants Group has many shipyards in their wider group, but this is about manufacturing for all the yards in the region and developing ever closer relationships.”

Picture of WindWings Sailing. Photo: bartechnologies.uk
Picture of WindWings Sailing. Photo: bartechnologies.uk

Hong Kong-listed CM Energy Tech is controlled by China Merchants Industry Holdings, a unit of state-owned transport-to-property conglomerate China Merchants Group. Its latest financial results showed it had generated US$92.9 million in revenue during the first six months of 2023, mainly from oil – rig manufacturing and supply chain services.

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