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EU Funding Will Make Existing Cargo Ships Greener Thanks to a Tilting Wingsail

It’s exciting to think about futuristic vessels powered only by renewable energy, and crossing oceans with no emissions at all. But the truth is that the complexity and high costs of such concepts makes them possible only in years to come, at best. Yet, shipping doesn’t afford the luxury of waiting that long. It needs to implement feasible solutions as soon as possible. One of them is named WHISPER, and it just got a big financial boost.
Ayro is implementing Oceanwings on the Canopee cargo ship 7 photos
Photo: Ayro
Oceanwings on the Zen50 YachtOceanwings on the Zen50 YachtOceanwings on a Cargo ShipOceanwings on a Cargo ShipOceanwings on a Cargo ShipOceanwings on a Yacht
We can all imagine a future where all airliners are hybrid-electric, and all cargo vessels and passenger ships are fed only with renewable energy or green fuel. But it’s a distant future. In the meantime, we have to work with what we’ve got.

This can mean, among other things, focusing more on retrofitting the existing fleet. It’s certainly a growing trend in multiple sectors, including commercial aviation, rail, and maritime transportation. If we can make today’s means of transportation even a bit greener, why shouldn’t we?

WHISPER is the name of one of these major retrofitting projects in the shipping industry. No less than 14 partners have joined forces for this, and they recently got €9.2 million ($9.8 million) in EU funding, from Horizon Europe.

The money will be used over the next four years, in what is known as an “energy transition” project. That’s because it isn’t about building emission-free vessels from scratch, but helping the already existing fleet transition to fewer emissions.

This will be achieved by implementing an advanced retrofitting solution on bulk carriers and containerships. The solution will combine an innovative tilting wingsail system with a hybrid propulsion system based on both solar and wind power.

As a result, current ships will be able to operate with at least 15% fuel savings, and up to 30%. That might not seem like a lot compared to other mobility sectors, but it’s a big step for maritime cargo transportation, known to be perhaps the most difficult area to decarbonize.

Plus, this particular sector doesn’t really have any other choice but to cut emissions as much as it’s possible right now. The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), for example, is one of the new regulations being implemented this year, which will force industry players to take drastic measures.

The innovative sailing system to be used in the WHISPER project is called Oceanwings, and was developed by the French company Ayro. A fully-automated system that claims to be twice as performant as conventional sails, Oceanwings uses sensors that measure the wind parameters, and motors that use the data to adjust the sail’s “angle of attack” (which is why it’s a tilted wingsail).

The WHISPER retrofit solution will also be modular, so that it can be easily installed on different types of carriers. One of its components, the Oceanwings, has already proven its efficiency on smaller vessels, including the ZEN50 yacht.
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 Download: WHISPER Horizon Europe Project (PDF)

About the author: Otilia Drăgan
Otilia Drăgan profile photo

Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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