Thanks to EU-funded researchers, cargo ships and cruise ships could soon harness the power of wind and waves to reduce their carbon emissions.

From Tom Cassawers

In August 2023, the five-year-old cargo ship Pyxis Ocean made history when it set sail from Shanghai, China, and headed for the southern Brazilian port of Paranaguá, a journey of almost 25,000 km.

The historic thing about this trip was that the Pyxis Ocean was not only powered by highly environmentally harmful bunker fuel, but was also the first ship of its kind to supplement the fuel with wind power. It tested the groundbreaking WindWings^® – 37.5-meter-high, foldable “sails” made of steel and fiberglass that can use the energy of the wind to propel the giant bulk carrier through the water.

Back to the future

Designed by British company BAR Technologies, built by Norwegian company Manta Marine Technologies and installed in China on a ship chartered by international company Cargill, WindWings^® are the result of an ambitious international collaboration – the CHEK project – funded by the EU to help commercial shipping move towards a lower-carbon future.

“It was quite a challenge at the time,” says Suvi Karirinne, director of the Vaasa Energy Business Innovation Centre (VEBIC) at the University of Vaasa in Finland, who coordinated the project.

The Pyxis Ocean Maiden voyage was the first practical test of WindWings^® – and an opportunity to assess whether a return to this traditional method of propulsion for ships could be the right way forward for the transport of goods at sea.

In May 2024, DNV Maritime Advisory, an internationally recognized certification and testing body, confirmed that the two WindWings could, under favorable conditions,^® installed on the Pyxis Ocean reduced the energy consumption of the main engine by 32% per nautical mile.

The WindWings^® The technology is expected to become widespread over time, and is already set to be integrated into 20 new ships scheduled for installation in 2025 and beyond.

Clean shipping

Up to 90% of the world’s goods and raw materials are transported by sea – a mode of transport that is far less clean than one might think. A loaded container ship can burn up to 150 tons of heavy fuel oil per day, which is not sustainable from an ecological point of view.

Shipping is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions – around 2% of total global emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. In April 2018, the International Maritime Organization agreed to reduce CO2 emissions. Emissionsby at least 50% by 2050 compared to the base year 2008.

To achieve this goal, CHEK experts have worked together on innovative design solutions that can be integrated into existing commercial vessels. Their ultimate goal is to create zero-emission vessels by synergistically combining different options.

Synergetic Integration

The team of experts wanted to integrate a range of different technologies and concepts into two types of vessels: a bulk carrier and a cruise ship. Some of these designs were tested in real-world conditions on the Pyxis Ocean and a passenger cruise ship of the global cruise company MSC Cruises.

By leveraging synergies between different operational, power supply and drag reduction technologies, they have developed a range of solutions that can be adapted for use in other vessel types such as tankers, container ships, general cargo vessels and ferries.

Proposed innovations include hydrogen-powered engines, ultrasonic antifouling devices and advanced route planning systems that take into account prevailing atmospheric and maritime conditions to provide the most energy-efficient route.

CHEK experts believe that the advances they have developed and tested, when used together, could reduce ships’ energy consumption by 50% and their greenhouse gas emissions by 99%.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution for decarbonising the maritime economy,” says Karirinne, who believes progress can best be achieved by integrating both new and existing innovative technologies.

Improving efficiency

“Shipping needs to reduce its emissions,” said Anders Öster, head of research at Finnish engineering company Wärtsilä. “That’s why we need to find solutions to make ships more efficient and their propulsion systems less carbon-intensive.”

In addition to his participation in CHEK, Öster coordinated another international research project called SeaTech, also funded by the EU, to improve the efficiency of commercial shipping.

The SeaTech research, conducted between 2020 and the end of 2023, involved both shipping companies and academic partners such as the University of Southampton in the UK, the National Technical University of Athens and the University of Tromsø in Norway. The study developed two key technologies that can be retrofitted into existing vessels, thus having a rapid impact on the sector’s emissions.

Wave power

Inspired by the movement of whales and dolphins through the water, the researchers attached a dynamic underwater wing to the front of the 10-meter-long model ship, resembling the front fins of a hammerhead shark.

The wing, which uses wave power to propel the ship forward, has been tested both in wave tanks and in the Aegean Sea. Researchers found that it generates thrust, especially in rough seas, which allows the engines to reduce their power.

“These wings absorb the energy of the waves and propel the ship forward,” says Öster. “They also stabilize the ship’s movements.”

In addition, the SeaTech team used sensors and software to control the combustion process in a gas-powered ship engine to improve its efficiency.

“Compared to diesel engines, our gas engine emitted a third less CO2,” Öster said. The two innovations work particularly well together, he says, because the engine control software can respond quickly to the same conditions that determine the power output of the wings. The result is more than the sum of its parts, Öster says.

“One plus one equals three when we combine these technologies. By taking different technologies and combining them, we increase their performance.”

The researchers found that the two technologies together could reduce CO2 emissions from diesel ships by 46%.

Economic advantage

The next challenge will be to convince the shipping industry to adopt these innovations. Karirinne is convinced that the results will speak for themselves.

Although the shipping industry can be quite conservative, according to Karirinne, it is also very competitive. In addition, the extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in January 2024 to cover the CO2 emissions of all large ships has provided further impetus for change.

It expects that CHEK technologies will be well received by shipping operators as they lead to significant cost savings by reducing fuel consumption – and thus CO2 emissions.

“These technologies are not only attractive because they reduce emissions, there is also a societal and economic need for them,” she said.

The speed of adoption will depend on both the perceived economic benefit and how easy the innovations are to implement. It will be some time before all cargo ships are equipped with giant sails, but SeaTech’s engine developments are already being retrofitted to ships.

“Shipping is considered a difficult sector to decarbonise,” says Karirinne. “But we have shown examples of how it can be done. It is possible and there are options. We just need to use them.”

Research for this article was funded by the EU Horizon programme. The views of the interviewees do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. This article originally appeared in horizon the EU magazine for research and innovation.