Oceanbird project goes full speed ahead with land-based testing, selection of retrofit vessel

Oceanbird, a project backed by Alfa Laval and Wallenius, is moving fast with the preparation for the installation of its first land-based Oceanbird Wing 560.

The project developers are already ordering parts for the installation, following the award of €9 million worth of funding under the Horizon Europe program.

The wing sail is being developed within the framework of a broader concept that envisages the construction of a wind-powered vessel, named Orcelle Wind. The vessel design builds on the Oceanbird concept, aiming to reduce up to 90% of emissions when compared to conventional vessels. The plan is to have it built and ready to sail in 2026.

The targeted reductions of 90% are set to be achieved by a combination of wing sails, specially designed hull, and speed/route recommendations.

“This is going to require the efforts of the best minds working in consort to achieve the full potential of the project. The purpose of the Horizon program is to create a framework for the different stakeholders to work together and take us from the concept to a real system in operation. Nothing on this scale has been attempted before: this is a step reduction in absolute emissions and I don’t think anything can achieve something to this degree,” Roger Strevens, VP, Global Sustainability, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said during a recent Oceanbird webcast.

“However, when you have Innovation (with capital I), you also need Funding (with capital F), and that is where the EUR 9 million will help us deliver on this exciting potential.”

“We have everything in place now: the funding, the R&D, the partnerships, and it makes a great start for moving towards sustainable shipping,” Niclas Dahl, Managing Director, Oceanbird, added.

As part of its Horizon program grant, eleven project partners, engaged in different parts of the project including weather routing, vessel design, supply chain orchestration, and crew training, will first install a land-based test facility for the first-full scale rig.

The facility will help the project developers collect and analyze real-life data on the performance of the wing building on the data collected from data simulations and model tests in open water and water tanks. This stage is critical before the project moves onto a vessel retrofitting stage.

According to Dahl, the design of the wing is set and parts are being ordered for the installation.

The Oceanbird wing sail consists of a main sail and a flap, optimizing the aerodynamics forces. To allow the vessel to pass under bridges and reduce the power in hard weather, the wing can be folded and tilted.

It is half the size of the initial wing sail model introduced in 2021, but the company says that it has the same performance as previous design, allowing a smaller footprint: both environmental and on deck.

Height: 40 meters (131 feet)

Width: 14 meters (46 feet)

Total sail area: 560 m² (6028 f²)

Weight: Approx 150 tons

In terms of materials, the wing will be built from high-strength steel and glass fiber. The company said that it plans to use a large amount of recycled material in the process.

Oceanbird estimates that one wing sail on an existing RoRo vessel at normal speed, can reduce fuel consumption from main engine with 7-10 % on favorable oceangoing routes. This equals a saving of approx. 675,000 liters of diesel per year, which corresponds to approx. 1920 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Vessel retrofit

After the land-based testing and data collection are completed, the partners plan to install the wing sail test rig on an existing Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessel in mid-2024.

The first retrofit project will take place on the Wallenius Wilhelmsen PCTC, the 2009-built Tirranna, during the ship’s regular drydocking.

A single sail will be trialed and the project will involve modifying the hull and conducting strength and stability tests.

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“There is a lot of work that goes into preparing a vessel to carry a wing-sail which has a significant weight and generates a lot of thrust, especially if that vessel wasn’t originally designed for it. There are structural and stability issues that need to be assessed, and we have come far on that work,” Strevens said.

The biggest challenge to installing a wing sail to an existing vessel is maintaining structural integration and finding the best solution in terms of minimum-added weight to the vessel.

As a result, Tirranna will undergo structural modifications to the hull to meet the propulsive forces from the wing sail.

Beyond the demonstrator’s vessel, the partners will use the models and tools to develop advanced conceptual designs and operational plans for multiple vessel types to apply the wing solution.

The project is a crucial part of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s fleet decarbonization strategy.

As explained, crew training plays a pivotal part in the process, which will require a collaborative effort of its own.

The expertise of Oceanbird, Wallenius Wilhelmsen as a vessel manager, as well as crewing ship management companies will need to be joined to cover all the basics in terms of safety and comfort, which is extremely important for people who live and work onboard.

Including crews in the early stages of development of the technology has been described as key to understanding how the technology works and building confidence and knowledge among the crew.

Wind power is a promising solution in the decarbonization of the shipping industry. The Oceanbird project puts wind at the forefront of the decarbonization race as it makes vessels less dependable on the availability and prices of future fuels.

Wind-propelled vessels are powered solely by wind energy, such as a sailboats. Until now, the market has seen developments accelerating in the space of wind-assisted propulsion. This refers to a vessel that uses wind energy to supplement or augment its primary propulsion system, such as a motorized sailboat.

Wind-assisted propulsion systems, also known as sail-assisted shipping, use sails or wind turbines to supplement the ship’s primary engine, reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. This technology is not new, as sailing ships have been in use for centuries, but the development of modern materials and computer control systems have made it possible to integrate sails into modern cargo ships, making it a viable solution for decarbonization.

One of the primary benefits of wind-assisted propulsion systems is the reduction in fuel consumption and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions. By relying on the wind for a portion of their propulsion, ships can save significant amounts of fuel, reducing their carbon footprint and operating costs.

Sails can work in complement to air lubrication systems or other fuel-saving devices on board as well as alternative fuels to bolster vessel efficiency.

One of the key benefits of the solution is that wind as a resource is free which aligns well with the business case for the technology.

However, the implementation of wind-assisted propulsion systems in the shipping industry is not without challenges. One of the main challenges is the cost of retrofitting existing ships with the technology, which can be significant. Additionally, there are also concerns about the reliability of the technology in adverse weather conditions and the lack of a standardized approach to integrating sails into ships.

“We believe that there is a strong business case for retrofitting ships with wing sails, having in mind that everything in our business will be changed in some way by decarbonization,” Strevens said, adding that customers are eager to engage in this conversation.

There is the understanding that companies across the value chain need to work together to find the most cost-effective solution to decarbonize, he noted.

As explained by Strevens, interest in wind propulsion is increasing from customers and is much greater when compared to any other decarbonization pathway explored.

“We can’t be conservative anymore – that’s a fast track to obsolescence. But, we must be cautious, and the comprehensive approach we are taking under Horizon is cautious but progressive.”