DNV grants approval to Oceanbird’s wing sail

Classification society DNV has granted approval in principle (AiP) to the first wing sail designed by Swedish wind propulsion systems maker Oceanbird.

PHOTO: Illustration of Oceanbird’s wing sail concept. Oceanbird

Wing sails are wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) that use aerodynamic principles to produce lift and reduce drag in a vessel's movement.

“It is one of the first stiff wing sails that will tilt in hard winds as a safety feature,” Oceanbird’s managing director Niclas Dahl says.

DNV has evaluated how the wing sail would “handle extreme conditions such as heavy wind loads, snow and ice loads and green sea (waves on deck).”

The approval will allow Oceanbird – a collaboration between Nordic shipping company Wallenius and Swedish engineering firm Alfa Laval – to prepare for its first prototype installation in Landskrona in Sweden later this year, Oceanbird’s technical director Mikael Razola says.

“On optimal routes in normal speed, one wing sail could reduce fuel consumption from main engine with 7-10%. This means a saving of approx. 675,000 liters of diesel per year, which corresponds to approx. 1,920 mt of CO2 per year,” according to Oceanbird’s website.

“This is an important milestone for Oceanbird in our quest to cut emissions from shipping,” Dahl adds.

Wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) have been gaining popularity among shipowners as they look for technologies that can boost vessel performance, reduce fuel use, and enhance sustainability.

This month, a bulk carrier chartered by US-based multinational firm Cargill has been retrofitted with rotor sails to reduce fuel consumption. Also this month, Norwegian chemical tanker company Odfjell partnered with wind-assisted propulsion technology developer bound4blue to install a suction sail system on one of its chemical tankers.

By Tuhin Roy

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