28 November 2024
Seawing Kite system new sea trials – Video
Wind propulsion specialist Airseas has successfully validated traction flights of the Seawing Kite system on Louis Dreyfus Armateurs’ vessel.
Wind propulsion specialist Airseas has achieved an important technical milestone in the sea trials of its Seawing Kite system by successfully validating traction flights on Louis Dreyfus Armateurs’ vessel Ville de Bordeaux.
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Concept
Airseas said that the company has now demonstrated that the wind propulsion kite system is working as planned, providing its first tonnes of traction that will help reduce the ship’s fuel consumption and emissions.
With automated take-off and landing also fully functional, the next phases of the sea trials will focus on testing dynamic flying, which allows the kite system to maximize its traction power, as well as gathering performance data and fine-tuning the automated flight system.
Kite System Trials
The validation of traction flights is the latest achievement in the technology’s ongoing sea trials, which are taking place during the Ville de Bordeaux’s commercial operations between Europe and the United States. These trials aim to test the Seawing kite system, which was developed with expertise in flight control and automation from the aerospace sector, and validate its performance.
The thorough transatlantic trials are conducted by a team of Airseas engineers on board, with the support of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, which operates the Ville de Bordeaux, and Airbus, which charters the vessel to transport aircraft components.
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Ship Nerd
The completion of this technical milestone also marks an important step towards the industrialization of the kite system, with planning well underway to build a factory in Nantes in 2026. Airseas is scaling up its company to meet the demand for the solution, with commitments from major shipping lines such as K Line, with whom Airseas has a 20-year agreement, with options for the Seawing to be installed on up to 51 of its vessels in total.
“We are immensely proud of the technical achievements that we have accomplished so far in our sea trials, and there is more to come. This latest milestone is a particularly important moment for the teams both on board and ashore, who have been working tirelessly to take this innovative system from concept to reality,”
“Now we are moving forward with the renewed confidence that the Seawing works as planned, and we are excited to progress the trials and improve the kite’s performance in the coming weeks and months.”
Vincent Bernatets, CEO and Co-Founder, Airseas
Stéphanie Lesage, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Airseas, said the new achievement marks the progress in wind propulsion for shipping and demonstrates technology readiness at a crucial tipping point for maritime decarbonization.
“With IMO and the EU both putting owners and charterers under greater pressure to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the time to act is now. We are dedicated to helping the industry harness the free and widely available energy of the wind to help reduce the climate impact of shipping, helping them not only comply with regulations, but also do good for society and the planet,”
Stéphanie Lesage, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Airseas
Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) completed the installation of the first Seawing kite system on a Capesize bulk carrier at the end of 2022.
The second vessel to feature a Seawing will be a newbuild LNG-fuelled 210,000 dwt bulk carrier, which is currently being built at Nihon Shipyard. According to the Japanese shipowner, the installation will follow upon the vessel’s delivery, which is scheduled for 2024.
In July 2022, the company confirmed orders for three additional Seawing kite systems, bringing to a total of five the number of its vessels that will use Airseas’ wind propulsion technology to reduce their emissions.
At the end of March 2023, K Line revealed that it has reached a deal with compatriot electric utility Electric Power Development (J-POWER) to install the Seawing on a coal carrier.
The vessel in question is Corona Citrus, an 88,000 DWT-type special coal carrier chartered out to J-POWER.
See Also
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In principle, the equipment plays the role of a windshield and aims at improving the ship’s aerodynamics, similar to an air dam incorporated into a semi-truck design. At first, the design seemed odd. Now they are standard for long-haul trucks. Therefore, the shipping industry can benefit as well by reducing its fuel consumption and its greenhouse gas emissions.
Bow windshield, new rising containership feature
The bow windshield first invented by MOL could be set to go mainstream with news that two of the world’s largest liners have been installed on a flagship in its fleet.
