Imagine a giant cargo ship that works like a modern sailboat, using high-tech wings instead of just engines. It uses smart software to find the best windy paths across the ocean to save fuel. The goal is to make wind the primary way ships move, only using engines when the air is still or for safety.
Maritime shipping faces high fuel costs and pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Current wind solutions are often secondary, not providing enough power to replace engines as the main propulsion source.
A simulation platform and digital toolkit for ship design. Two physical RoRo demonstrators: one retrofit with a single wing and one newbuild with multiple wings.
If you are a car transporter dealing with high fuel costs on Atlantic routes — this project developed multi-wing systems that can achieve more than 50% energy savings. This allows for a shift toward wind as the main propulsion source.
If you are a shipyard dealing with the need for greener vessel designs — this project developed a digital toolkit used in over 30 ship designs to help build or retrofit wind systems.
If you are a fleet manager dealing with strict decarbonization targets — this project developed conceptual designs and operational plans to apply wind propulsion to tankers and bulk carriers.
Based on available project data, specific costs are not listed, but the system targets energy efficiency gains of more than 50% on average for full-year operations.
Yes, the project is building two physical demonstrators: a retrofit vessel and a newbuild vessel, with the goal of making this applicable to 80%+ of the world fleet.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not provided, but the project creates a digital toolkit for industry use in ship design.
The project aims to establish new safety standards and regulations for wind as a main propulsion system to enable the construction of physical ships.
The project runs from 2023-01-01 to 2027-12-31, during which the physical demonstrators will be built and operated.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 50% of the 12 partners being industrial entities. It is led by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS, a major logistics operator with 130 RoRo vessels, ensuring the research is grounded in commercial reality. The mix of 3 universities and 2 research centers across 6 European countries provides the necessary technical depth to support the physical ship demonstrators.
Contact Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS regarding wind propulsion integration.
Contact us to explore how to integrate wind-propulsion simulation tools into your fleet planning.
