Hampshire’s BAR Technologies partners with Finnish marine tech firm

Published by

Andrew Diprose

Aboard the Pyxis Ocean, which was fitted with WindWings in 2023

BAR Technologies, the Portsmouth-based marine engineering consultancy and wind propulsion pioneer, has partnered with Groke Technologies.

The Finland-headquartered marine tech company will design and develop systems for BAR’s WindWings technology.

BAR Technologies says the collaboration with Groke will “provide an autonomous navigation solution to enhance passage at sea and port manoeuvrability for vessels equipped with WindWings”.

The ground-breaking installation was pioneered on Mitsubishi Corporation’s Pyxis Ocean.

Chartered by global food corporation Cargill, it was the first vessel to be retrofitted with WindWings.

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Since its fitting in August 2023, the Pyxis Ocean has made several voyages with WindWings and Groke Pro in operation.

Groke Pro provides imagery to the bridge where traditional lines of sight may be obstructed.

It is collated from multiple locations on the vessel, together with an analysis of objects in the vessel’s periphery.

The sensor fusion technology can combine inputs from different sensors on the vessel, including radar, AIS and Groke Pro’s day and night cameras.

John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies, said: “As we chart the future of the maritime industry, our partnership with Groke marks a pivotal stride toward the confluence of low carbon propulsion and the latest automation technologies – both of which put global shipping on the path towards a cleaner, more efficient future.

“As the industry goes on this journey, it’s critical to BAR that we overcome any challenges in operability by either innovating in-house, or partnering with other forward-looking industry specialists with whom we can form close collaboration.

“We look forward to working closely with Groke in the future.”

Juha Rokka, CEO of Groke Technologies, added: “As shipping continues to evolve, Groke is committed to being among the front-runners of the maritime future.

“With our technology and know-how, we are confident that we can support the shipping industry in embodying higher standards in safety and materialising a cleaner future.”

BAR Technologies spun out from the former British America’s Cup team.

It provides a wide range of design and engineering consultancy services with a focus on four key sectors: workboats and commercial vessels, shipping, special projects, and leisure marine and yachts.

Andrew Diprose