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The return of wind power has provided much-needed clean energy to the global shipping industry as it tries to avoid a spiraling rise in carbon emissions.
Canvas sails once provided power for cargo ships sailing in the seven oceans, and now the modern shipping industry is taking steps to restore its wind power heritage-that is, using high-tech technology. In the latest development, last week, French startup Zéphyr & Borée obtained verification of a new container ship equipped with eight rigid sails designed by Computed Wing Sails.
In principle, Xinfengfan has been approved by Bureau Veritas, the world's leading certification company, which has developed a new classification system for ocean-going wind propulsion systems.
BV must have done the work for it through the Zéphyr & Borée project. This ship is not a demonstration scale enterprise. This is a full-size 185-meter (approximately 607-foot) cargo ship with a capacity of 1,800 TEU, which refers to the number of 20-foot containers it can hold.
This is far less than the largest cargo ship at sea today, which can easily exceed 20,000 TEU. However, it is enough to show how to expand wind power to help decarbonize the global shipping industry.
Established in 2014, Zéphyr & Borée is based on the decarbonization platform of the shipping industry and casts a net in the field of wind power.
The rigid wind harvester designed by Computed Wing Sail is a thick, asymmetrical sail, similar to the wings of a glider. According to wind conditions, it can be folded down to maintain half of its height for best efficiency.
Zéphyr & Borée also cooperated with the shipbuilding company VPLP, which has contributed a wealth of experience in designing rigid wing sails for racing boats.
As described by Zéphyr & Borée, one challenge is to design a stowable rigid sail, which means it can be folded into a more compact shape in bad weather.
Xinfengfan also addresses the challenge of minimizing crew and training requirements.
“The control of the rigging does not require additional sailors, the setup is fully automated, and the structure meets the robustness and reliability requirements required by maritime regulations and commercial ship activities,” explained Zéphyr & Borée.
The idea of a rigid sail brings the potential to add a layer of thin-film solar panels. The Japanese company Eco Marine Power launched a patented rigid sail in 2011 that doubles as a solar collector. For many years, EMP has separated sails and solar panels, which can be installed separately or as an integrated system.
By separating the solar panels from the sails, EMP also provides more room for growth on the solar side. EMP points out that its solar technology is lightweight and flexible, so it can be installed on awnings and other surfaces on ships.
Earlier this year, EMP's "Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy with EnergySail" solar and wind energy combination was approved in principle by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai.
EMP emphasized that its clean power system can continue to generate electricity when the ship is stationary. This is an important consideration in the context of continuing transportation bottlenecks, which makes thousands of cargo ships waiting to dock while running diesel engines.
Another interesting development is a cylindrical sail, similar to a chimney, designed by Norsepower under the name Rotor Sail. The cylinder can be tilted downwards to allow the use of low bridges and other infrastructure, thereby opening up a wider range of shipping routes and destinations.
Rotor Sail made its debut on CleanTechnica in 2015, when our friends at the Rocky Mountain Institute explained that the tubular design is an update of the Flettner rotor, a wind power device that rotates in a cylinder.
"The reason why the rotor produces thrust is the same as the reason why a rotating baseball bends in the air after being thrown-the Magnus effect. When air passes through the rotating body, it exerts a force perpendicular to the air," RMI explained Say.
Until 2019, everything was calm for a few years, when the tiltable tubular sail reappeared on the CleanTechnica radar in 2019. Since then, Norsepower has been very busy.
Recent developments include an agreement with global mining and shipping giant Vale to equip one of its "Valemax" ultra-large ore carriers with a series of five rotor sails.
Last month, Norsepower also signed a memorandum of understanding with Kongsberg Maritime, a global maritime technology company.
The new agreement adds wind power to KM's growing portfolio of decarbonization solutions for the shipping industry.
Oskar Levander, Senior Vice President of Business Concepts at KM explained:
"This cooperation with Norsepower is another goal of KM to become a leading integrator of green shipping technologies, such as auxiliary wind power, alternative fuel/energy, and energy-saving equipment... We will work together to provide support for shipowners and shipyards. The most efficient and effective way to apply Rotor Sail technology and collaborate on new ship designs to integrate these technologies and improve overall energy efficiency."
Of course, if people no longer buy so many things from far away places, the carbon emissions of the shipping industry will not be so much. However, this will not happen. In fact, the entire industry is heading in the wrong direction.
According to the International Ocean Organization, the carbon intensity of the global shipping industry (including fisheries) has increased in recent years. Despite this, the industry’s total greenhouse gas emissions are already 90% higher than the base year 2008, and are expected to continue to increase by up to 130% by 2050.
At the same time, the International Maritime Organization hopes to reduce emissions to 2008 levels by 2050. It seems that wind energy will be part of the solution, albeit only as a means to reduce fuel consumption. It is hard to imagine a Valemax ship with a weight of 360 meters and a weight of 400 tons that is driven entirely by wind, but the use of wind energy to reduce carbon emissions from marine fuel can have a significant impact.
As early as 2018, Norsepower confirmed that its Rotor Sail can save more than 8% of fuel, and the company expects to save up to 25% in some cases.
Battery electric technology will also play a role. Although today’s batteries may not be able to power a full-size cargo ship, Yara has just launched a medium-size electric ship in Norway, which will expand its own emissions reductions by replacing thousands of trucks on local roads each year .
Zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells are becoming another decarbonization option, at least for ferries and other small ships, but only to the extent that global green hydrogen supply continues to grow (the main source of hydrogen today is natural gas, but alternative sources are emerging) .
For large ships, stakeholders in the shipping industry have begun to get involved in the field of green hydrogen ammonia, where renewable hydrogen can be combined with nitrogen in the ambient air to produce renewable ammonia. Compared with the current state of the ammonia supply chain, which relies heavily on natural gas, this is a huge sustainability step.
There is no free lunch in the world, and the shipping industry will have to do something about the nitrogen oxide emissions from the combustion of ammonia in the combustion system, so please continue to pay attention to more information in this regard.
Follow me on Twitter @TinaMCasey.
Picture: Rigid sails provide wind power for cargo ships (provided by Computed Wing Sail).
Tina specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technologies, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. The opinions expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.
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