Piraeus finances the world’s first wind-assisted LR2 tanker vessel, marking a new era of sustainable shipping
Piraeus finances the world’s first wind-assisted LR2 tanker vessel, marking a new era of sustainable shipping.
British shipping company Union Maritime Ltd. has just taken delivery of the newbuilt vessel “Brands Hatch”, the world’s first Aframax LR2 tanker featuring wind-assisted propulsion to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Piraeus financed the acquisition of the vessel, participating in the new era of sustainable shipping that takes advantage of wind power.
The naming ceremony of the "Brands Hatch", named after the Kent car racing circuit, took place on Wednesday, June 11th in Shanghai. The pioneering vessel is of 115,000 DWT and features three 37.5-metre-tall WindWings® developed by UK- based BAR Technologies.
Wind propulsion is expected to reduce the vessel's fuel consumption by approximately 1,200 tons annually, equating to a reduction of over 3,800 tons of CO2 emissions each year.
Athens, 24 June 2025