A project by Smart Green Shipping and the University of Southampton aims to bring wind energy to cargo ships, betting on the integration of sails to make maritime transport more sustainable.
The new sail concept aims to make maritime transport more sustainable
Sails have been, for many years, the chief navigational engine of the most diverse types of seagoing vessels.
However, with the development of times, wind energy has been replaced by fossil fuels, and it is the energy source that is still used today for the vast majority of marine transportation.
With cargo ships being one of the main culprits of greenhouse gas emissions, a team of researchers from the University of Southampton, in partnership with Smart Green Shipping, now intend to reduce these emissions through the use of wind power.
FastRig wing sails are capable of generating wind power
In order to make the ships more sustainable, the research team intends to install a set of FastRig wing sails, developed by Smart green charging.
These types of rigid sails resemble the wing of an aircraft and can be fixedly attached to the deck of any ship.
In this way, they are able to manage the wind energy that is used to move the ship without using fossil fuels.
This new concept will be tested over the next two years on the merchant vessel Pacific Grip, a 105-metre British vessel, where 20-metre retractable FastRig sails will be fitted.
Through this study, the team intends to understand the interaction between the sails and the ship’s hydrodynamics in order to make accurate predictions of the ship’s performance, one of the key points being fuel economy.
Through this project, it aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve sustainability in the maritime transport sector.
Suggestions for reading: Wind Energy News
Emily Brontë is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, literature, and current affairs. She is dedicated to producing clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about developments in the UK and around the world.
