GREEN SHIP TECHNOLOGY
Harnessing aerospace technology A MODERN WIND SOLUTION FOR SHIPPING AT THE TIME OF WRITING, THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS THE WORLD’S PEOPLE AND ECONOMY IN ITS GRIP. WITH THE SHORT-TERM IMPACT CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT UPSET IN THE GLOBAL SHIPPING MARKETS, THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SPECULATION AS TO HOW THE GREEN ECONOMY WILL FARE ONCE WE EMERGE AT THE OTHER END OF THIS CRISIS.
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF AIRSEAS. WORDS BY VINCENT BERNATETS, CEO AND FOUNDER OF AIRSEAS.
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owever, bearing in mind the long-term implications of a slowdown in managing carbon emissions, the shipping industry shouldn’t take its eye off the 2050 IMO decarbonisation reduction target against the backdrop of COVID-19. Indeed, many commentators are arguing that the recovery from the current crisis must be green. The American Morgan Stanley bank, for example, has stated in a recent report that “there may be some short-term delays in climate policy. But decarbonisation remains an attractive investment theme for the decade ahead, with a green recovery likely.”
Growing potential
As the 2050 target looms, many technologies and innovations are coming to the fore to help fleets manage their carbon
When deployed, the Seawing kite will fly at height of up to 400m above the vessel and generate up to 100t of traction.
emissions, spurred on by the broadly successful implementation of the IMO 2020 sulphur cap. Emerging through the debate of future zero-carbon technologies, wind is becoming more and more visible as a viable option to be deployed alongside a future zero-GHG fuel. According to a recent study from the UCL-based commercial advisory service and the Getting to Zero Coalition, a future zero-GHG fuel could be as much as USD 800 per ton, given the level of investment. This means that any fuel saving percentage generated by wind power is going to present a significant return on investment to any future owner. To indicate the growth in the potential of wind, the International Windship Association has increased its membership
nearly tenfold since 2014. Translating this growth into a physical presence, the EU estimates that by 2030, there will be 10,700 wind propulsion installations. Furthermore, the UK Clean Maritime Plan estimates the wind market for shipping will grow to 2.3 billion euros a year by the 2050s. As wind solutions continue to gather pace and scale, much like other zero-carbon research, innovation will accelerate. This is a vital step to establish wind power as a key element of shipping’s decarbonisation strategy, as the technology to which it leads fulfils certain criteria for viable wind solutions. Firstly, it will need to ensure solutions are safe, working seamlessly alongside the crew to ensure reliability. Secondly, it will need to ensure that wind solutions and hardware are easy to retrofit and work around existing vessel design. Finally, it must ensure that the fuel savings are maximised, therefore generating the return on investment that owners will need. This is where wind propulsion can learn from other industries. It was this inspiration from other industries, specifically aviation, that contributed to the founding of Airseas, an organisation backed by Airbus to harness advanced aerospace technology to develop a modern wind solution for shipping.
Learning from the flight deck
Taking learnings from aviation is nothing new to shipping; for instance, there has
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