Testing, inspection and certification company Bureau Veritas (BV) has awarded Zéphyr & Borée an approval in principle (AiP) for its very first open-top 1,800 TEU container vessel. The ship will demonstrate the feasibility of using wind-propelled wingsails.
CWS (Computed Wing Sail) will provide the 185m-long vessel with eight sails to assist the ship’s IMO Tier III compliant propulsion system, which consists of shaft generators and a heat recovery system to minimize fuel consumption. Depending on weather conditions, the asymmetrical wingsails will automatically adjust to catch port and starboard winds.
BV was involved in the early stages of the design process. It reviewed the main design principles of the ship and its wind-assisted propulsion system to ensure the concept would be feasible and to discover any potential issues with the sustainable solution. The AiP awarded by BV confirms that the design is compliant with the company’s latest notations, including NR 206 on wind propulsion systems.
“We are convinced that wind energy will play an important role in the years to come to decarbonize ships’ propulsion,” commented Nils Joyeux, CEO at Zéphyr & Borée. “The integration of sails on container ships is an important technical challenge on which we are working hard at Zéphyr & Borée. We are delighted to collaborate with BV on this project, which represents a key milestone by demonstrating the viability of wingsails as a wind propulsion solution for container ships. We intend to continue our work with maritime stakeholders to offer wind propulsion solutions that are economically viable and make a tangible difference for the sector.”
“Wind, even if it is not always available, is a serious option to help decarbonize the shipping industry,” explained Laurent Leblanc, senior vice president technical and operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. “Wind propulsion systems can play a significant role by providing substantial propulsive energy. With this AiP, we are pleased to demonstrate that the technology can be applied to container ships, which represent 17.5% of the global fleet (in tonnage). Bureau Veritas continues to lead the way in developing guidelines and frameworks for the safe and efficient use of this promising technology.”
