Airbus Looks Windward, Will Put Sails on Ships Moving Plane Parts

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The jet maker will use wind power to move cargo from Europe to Alabama in the latest effort by companies to cut costs and emissions in ocean transport

European plane maker Airbus SE , EADSY -0.34% in a bid to trim its logistics costs, is turning to wind power on the big ocean-going cargo ships it uses to move aircraft parts around the world.

The world’s No. 2 aircraft manufacturer after Boeing Co. said it would equip one of its three roll-on, roll-off vessels with new sail technology that operates essentially like a kite. The massive, 5,382-square-foot sail should help Airbus save more than 1 million euros ($1.2 million) in annual fuel spending and cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 8,000 metric tons a year.



The device is the latest in an array of technologies shipping companies are using to cope with rising fuel costs as the International Maritime Organization implements rules to reducing pollution at sea. The IMO, which sets standards for the shipping industry, is targeting a 30% improvement in energy efficiency in the global fleet.

Denmark’s Maersk Tankers recently installed nearly 100-foot-tall cylinders that harness wind power on one of its tankers. The technology could cut 7% to 10% of a ship’s fuel use under certain conditions.

The marine unit of Britain’s Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC also has considered working on sails for ships, although currently the business is focused more on other technologies, such as battery energy storage.

Airbus tested a smaller version of the sail last year before deciding to install the device on its cargo ship, the Ville de Bordeaux. The upgraded vessel will set sail in 2021 to bring parts from Europe to Mobile, Ala., where Airbus assembles some of its popular single-aisle planes, said Benoît Lemonnier, head of logistics and transport for Airbus.



The device, which developer Airseas calls a Seawing, should cut fuel burn around 20% and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about the same amount during the roughly 13-day journey, Mr. Lemonnier said. The savings are part of Airbus’s effort to boost the competitiveness of the U.S. facility.

Airseas, a Toulouse, France-based spinoff of Airbus, has held talks with other shipping companies to use the technology, says Vincent Bernatets, who left Airbus last year to set up the venture. The company has developed a larger, 10,764-square-meter sail for larger vessels.

Mr. Bernatets said the company had three letters of agreement with big shipping firms to develop the system. He wouldn’t identify those companies but said Airseas is working on converting those deals into contracts.

In addition to the kite, the system includes weather sensors that alert the ship captain when to deploy the device and how to route the ship to take advantage of winds, Mr. Bernatets said. Once the system is deployed, the captain can throttle back power of the onboard engine.

Airseas projects a five-year payback period for users for the upfront investment.

By Robert Wall