Wallenius has ordered two wing sails from Oceanbird for installation on the car carrier M/V Way Forward in 2027, marking the company’s first commercial use of wind-assisted propulsion

Way Forward already holds the highest Carbon Intensity Indicator rating, A. The addition of wing sails is expected to further improve the vessel’s energy efficiency while generating valuable operational data on wind-assisted propulsion in commercial service.

According to Johan Mattsson, CEO of Wallenius Marine, the initiative reflects the company’s ambition to turn promising technologies into practical solutions for everyday shipping operations.

“We are convinced that wind propulsion will play an important role in the future of shipping. By fitting wing sails to the Way Forward, we can gain practical experience whilst taking another step towards reducing emissions from our fleet,” says Johan Mattsson, CEO of Wallenius Marine.

Way Forward is designed to minimise energy consumption through an optimised hull design and a dual-fuel propulsion system capable of operating on both liquid and gaseous fuels, including biofuels. The wing sails add another component to the vessel’s energy-efficiency strategy.

“The installation will provide valuable insights into how wind propulsion can be integrated into future vessel designs and day-to-day operations. The lessons learned will support the development of even more energy-efficient ships,” says Johan Mattsson.

Peter Hörndlein, Head of Vehicle Logistics Overseas at Volkswagen Konzernlogistik, takes the same view.

“For many years, Volkswagen Konzernlogistik has been working consistently to reduce emissions across its logistics operations. Way Forward – with her future-proof DualFuel propulsion system – demonstrates how customers and shipping companies can work together to advance more energy-efficient solutions. By testing wing sails, we are contributing to the development of more sustainable vehicle logistics,” says Peter Hörndlein.

Amrit Kaur Bhullar, CEO of Oceanbird, takes a positive view of developments in wind-powered shipping.

“We, at Oceanbird, are delighted to see wind propulsion solutions gaining momentum not only among shipowners, but also with charterers. Wallenius, one of our owners, has long been a pioneer in sustainable shipping, and we are proud to be installing our technology on one of their vessels. Forward-thinking companies such as Wallenius and Volkswagen are helping drive the transition to truly green shipping, and we are honored to play a role in that journey.” says Amrit Kaur Bhullar, CEO Oceanbird.