The Return of Sail Power: Cargo Ships Are Turning Back to the Wind

Rotor sails, rigid wings, and suction-based wind systems are installed on over 100 large merchant ships, totaling more than 5 million deadweight tons, to cut fuel use. Maersk will test a 35-meter rotor sail on an 8,700-TEU containership in 2027. Vale’s 400,000-dwt ore carrier already uses five 35-meter rotors, reducing fuel by up to 6%. Future projects include VLCCs with Norsepower rotors, LNG carriers with BAR Technologies’ WindWings, and the Neoliner Origin’s 76-meter carbon-fiber masts, which aim to provide primary propulsion across the Atlantic.