Our Way 1
THE FUTURE OUR VISION IS TO LEAD THE WAY TOWARDS
TRULY SUSTAINABLE SHIPPING. ANOTHER AIM FOR global maritime transport is to cut CO2 emissions by 40% in 2030. Oceanbird won’t bring about that change single-handedly, but the concept can play a major role if shipping companies add the concept to their fleet. The segments of ships closest to the present version, i.e., car carriers, are cruise ships/ explorers and bulk carriers. When designing windpowered versions of these types of ships, the experience and knowledge gained from Oceanbird PCTC will help us use the concept for other types of ships. “There have actually been quite a lot of requests to buy passenger tickets to travel on Oceanbird. That’s not in the foreseeable future, but we really appreciate the level of interest. Oceanbird has a wide commercial range, and its concept can, and will, be adapted to carry a number of different kinds of cargo. But we can’t do everything at once. Right now we operate on the basis of what’s most feasible,” says Josefin Falk. “We are now exploring other ship segments such as bulk carriers and explorer cruise vessels. For each ship type there are different challenges, but we see that the concept can be adopted for most segments. Particularly challenging is of course vessels where large and moveable cranes are operating on deck since they may interfere with the wing rigs, but we think it’s possible to get around that,” says Carl-Johan Söder, Naval Architect Wallenius Marine. Another interesting aspect of Oceanbird is the possibility of retrofitting, since Oceanbird’s wing sail rig could be adjusted to fit already existing ships. This will give the ships wind assistance and reduce emissions, thus speeding up the transformation of maritime transport. YOU MIGHT WONDER why Wallenius Marine chose to reveal so much of its design and the work process at such an early stage. “Our vision is to lead the way towards Truly Sustainable Shipping, and we of course want others to join. It is not a competition, but rather a direction we all need to take. By being transparent in the process, we wish to inspire others to test the limits of what is possible. We all need to make a change and it just can’t wait any longer,” Josefin Falk concludes. OUR WAY 17 Carl-Johan Söder Naval Architect, Wallenius Marine