- First chemical tanker in the world to be equipped with sustainable wind technology.
- The wind-propelled tanker is expected to deliver a 10% reduction on CO2 emissions.
- Geoff Holmes, CEO of Saltend’s owners px Group: “Saltend continues to be the destination for innovation in UK manufacturing.”
Saltend Chemicals Park, in the Humber, last week welcomed a pioneering wind-propelled chemicals tanker to site.
Delivering an average reduction in CO2 emissions of 10%, the 134-metre-long tanker has four 16-metre-high aluminium wind sails on board.
The VentoFoils from Econowind create a direct wind surface of 180 square metres. Smart vacuum technology quintuples the force of the wind, creating a gross wind surface of 900 m2. This is equivalent to an imaginary sail of 30 by 30 metres.
The MT Chemical Challenger, built by Dutch business Chemship, was commissioned only a month ago and was collecting ethyl acetate produced by INEOS Acetyls at Saltend.
The tanker docked at Saltend’s deepwater jetty, which provides direct access to the Humber River. The deepwater jetty is a crucial part of the infrastructure on site and is a key differentiator between px Group-owned Saltend and other industrial parks in the UK.
The stop at Saltend was on the tanker’s transatlantic routes between the East coast of the US and Europe.
Geoff Holmes, CEO of px Group, which owns and operates Saltend Chemicals Park, said: “We were delighted to welcome the MT Chemical Challenger to Saltend last week. We are passionate about cutting CO2 emissions in as many ways as possible, as are the host of world-leading manufacturers on site.”
“It has been a very encouraging few weeks for Saltend, with today’s update quickly following the latest positive developments with H2H Saltend, which moved a step closer having been granted planning permission by the local council.”
Gavin Hoe-Richardson, Port agency Manager at Casper Ltd’s Saltend office, the vessel’s UK agents, and which looks after 95% of the vessels calling at Saltend, added: “We are proud to be able to act on ship owners behalf and be linked with such a forward-thinking company who are eager to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in innovative technology of the future.”
Simon Bird, Regional Director for Associated British Ports (ABP) Humber said: “Technologies like wind power are making good strides in the shipping sector to help reduce their emissions. As the UK’s busiest gateway for trade, it’s great to see examples like the MT Chemical Challenger visiting the Humber.
As port operators, ABP has made a significant commitment to our role in decarbonisation outlined in our Sustainability Strategy, Ready for Tomorrow, both through our operations and through working in partnership with others.
We look forward to continuing to work with pc Group and others on the Humber to ensure that our region is at the forefront of the clean energy transition and delivering truly sustainable economic growth.”
px Group is backed by Ara Partners, a private equity company specialising in decarbonisation investments.
