Photo: Ayro
There's no doubt about it – wind power is one of the greatest assets this planet still has and that people can harness for cleaner maritime transportation. Several breakthrough sailing concepts have emerged in the last few years, including Oceanwings, developed by the French company Ayro.
Cargo ships are still at the center of global logistics. This constant commercial flow, paired with the enormous capacity of cargo ships, also translates to one of the highest levels of CO2 emissions. To make matters worse, we've gone from global warming to "global boiling." According to the data analyzed by Ayro, this extreme phenomenon will make emission levels connected to shipping rise to a whopping 17% of all CO2 emissions over the next decades.
Oceanwings was developed as a revolutionary solution that can make shipping sustainable in the long run. Marc Van Peteghem, who is also co-founder of the reputable VPLP Naval Architecture studio, created this concept based on the wingsail design of a champion trimaran. It was the BMW Oracle racing trimaran, which had won the America’s Cup in 2010.
Peteghem launched the Ayro company in 2018 and put his innovative concept to the test through various demonstrations and trials. It took several years to confirm the efficiency of the Oceanwings prototype, using a catamaran called Energy Observer, which cruised multiple oceans.
Today, Oceanwings has reached an impressive level. Canopee, the innovative vessel that is carrying components for the Ariane 6 space launch system from France to French Guyana, is fitted with four of the Oceanwings sails.
Canopee's sails are the newest generation of Oceanwings. Compared to the previous prototypes, they are much larger in scale (40 meters/131 feet high, boasting 363 square meters/3,907 square feet) and fully automated, which makes them remarkably easy to maneuver. The four sails installed on Canopee are set on giant 36-meter (118 feet) masts and are expected to reduce the ship's fuel consumption by 30%. Even half of that would bring tremendous benefits, as the equivalent of more than 3.5 tons of fuel per day.
SWEN Capital Partners claims that Ayro has the biggest potential to become a global wind propulsion leader. The investment company concluded this after a thorough study of the wind propulsion market. Through Blue Ocean, it led Ayro's recent Series B investment round.
The outcome is looking good for Ayro. It secured over €19 million ($21 million), bringing its total funding to more than $31.5 million.
This fully automated sailing technology isn't limited to shipping. It was also successfully tested on the Zen50 luxury catamaran, proving that it can be implemented with great success on luxury yachts as well. Still, shipping is the priority due to the profound impact on global emission levels. This is where Oceanwings can play a revolutionary role.
Oceanwings was developed as a revolutionary solution that can make shipping sustainable in the long run. Marc Van Peteghem, who is also co-founder of the reputable VPLP Naval Architecture studio, created this concept based on the wingsail design of a champion trimaran. It was the BMW Oracle racing trimaran, which had won the America’s Cup in 2010.
Peteghem launched the Ayro company in 2018 and put his innovative concept to the test through various demonstrations and trials. It took several years to confirm the efficiency of the Oceanwings prototype, using a catamaran called Energy Observer, which cruised multiple oceans.
Today, Oceanwings has reached an impressive level. Canopee, the innovative vessel that is carrying components for the Ariane 6 space launch system from France to French Guyana, is fitted with four of the Oceanwings sails.
Canopee's sails are the newest generation of Oceanwings. Compared to the previous prototypes, they are much larger in scale (40 meters/131 feet high, boasting 363 square meters/3,907 square feet) and fully automated, which makes them remarkably easy to maneuver. The four sails installed on Canopee are set on giant 36-meter (118 feet) masts and are expected to reduce the ship's fuel consumption by 30%. Even half of that would bring tremendous benefits, as the equivalent of more than 3.5 tons of fuel per day.
SWEN Capital Partners claims that Ayro has the biggest potential to become a global wind propulsion leader. The investment company concluded this after a thorough study of the wind propulsion market. Through Blue Ocean, it led Ayro's recent Series B investment round.
The outcome is looking good for Ayro. It secured over €19 million ($21 million), bringing its total funding to more than $31.5 million.
This fully automated sailing technology isn't limited to shipping. It was also successfully tested on the Zen50 luxury catamaran, proving that it can be implemented with great success on luxury yachts as well. Still, shipping is the priority due to the profound impact on global emission levels. This is where Oceanwings can play a revolutionary role.
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