en.Wedoany.com Reported - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and BAR Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the integrated application of WindWings hard sail technology, covering technical development and commercial promotion. HHI's shipyard in Ulsan, the world's largest shipbuilding facility, will leverage its scale advantages to support the deployment of this technology.
Under the agreement, the two parties will establish a joint engineering approach during the ship design phase to enable the integration of WindWings into newbuilds. The collaboration includes connecting the WindWings control system with HHI's integrated ship control system and developing performance verification methods to support scalable commercial deployment. This partnership is based on mutual confidence in the performance, reliability, and potential of the three-element hard sail design to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
As regulatory and commercial pressures intensify, wind-assisted propulsion is becoming an increasingly important means for shipowners to reduce fuel consumption and improve efficiency under stricter regulatory frameworks. This collaboration is expected to promote the application of wind-assisted propulsion technology across a wider range of vessel types, including gas carriers. Since its establishment, HHI has delivered over 5,000 vessels to shipowners in more than 60 countries, and its scale and industry influence will support this expansion. The MOU has an initial validity of three years and aims to drive the large-scale deployment of low-emission technologies in the maritime sector.
Hongryeul Ryu, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, stated: "Through commercial and technical collaboration with BAR Technologies and the joint development of WindWings, we aim to support the broader application and technological advancement of wind-assisted propulsion systems, making them a key component of next-generation maritime transportation. This partnership is not just about technology integration; it represents a step toward fundamentally changing how future ships are designed. As a leading shipbuilder in the global maritime industry's decarbonization process, we are committed to playing our role in driving this transformation." John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies, noted that the two parties have already deployed WindWings on a significant number of newbuilds, and this agreement aims to further expand the technology into new areas such as gas carriers. He stated that as fuel costs and regulatory pressures increase, the question for shipowners is no longer whether to use wind energy, but how quickly. Partnering with a world-class shipyard like HHI is how wind-assisted propulsion moves from early adoption to mainstream shipbuilding. The agreement builds on the existing installation base of WindWings on retrofitted vessels and newbuilds, aiming to create a more scalable and standardized application pathway to help shipowners leverage wind energy to reduce emissions and meet regulatory requirements.
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