Revolutionizing Marine Shipping (Part 3)

Marine Shipping is undergoing a major transformation as it seeks to decarbonize. Will wind power be part of the solution?

Continuing where we left off previously …

1. Kites

A variant of the traditional sail is a kite. The best-known application is being developed by AirSeas, a spin-off of Airbus Industries, which plans to ship components of Airbus aircraft from Europe for assembly in the United States on the roll-on, roll-off vessel Ville De Bordeaux in 2021. Known as the SeaWing, the kite can be produced in a variety of sizes. It is stowed in the bow and deployed automatically. A Japanese shipping company is installing up to 50 systems on its fleet in 2020.

The common denominator of sails and kites is the software system that analyzes meteorological and oceanographic data and determines the optimal configuration for the journey. Once the kite is employed, it fills with air and is then operated by an autopilot. It is designed for ships that sail at speeds between 12 to 21 knots.

2. Suction Wings

eConowind, a Dutch company, has developed a suction wing called Ventifoils, which is composed of vertical towers that look like a rotor sail system. The main difference is that the towers or wings are non-rotating with vents that have an internal fan that draws air through a boundary air layer. This creates a difference in pressure resulting in the forward movement. The installation features two 10-meter wings with two extensions of six meters that will generate significant force allowing the vessel to reduce engine power and reduce fuel consumption. It is installed on the 3,600 DWT general cargo vessel MV Ankle as part of the Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion project funded by the European Union’s Interreg North Sea Region program.3 Estimates suggest that savings in fuel will pay for the system over approximately three years, thus reducing GHGs.

With such rapid progressions & advancements in the ever-changing field of technological innovations, Westline Shipping has introduced several revolutionary changes in maritime shipping, which also envelope the faculty of Careers in Merchant Navy, adhered to many new introductions in training for Merchant Navy!