The United Kingdom plans to return to sailing in large merchant ships

March 14 () –

At the University of Southampton they plan to modernize merchant ships with ultramodern wing sails so that they are propelled by the wind in an effort to reduce carbon emissions.

The research team intends to create new software tools that accurately predict the performance of modern ships in the ocean when equipped with the FastRig wing sails, developed by the British company Smart Green Shipping and that have government financial support.

Lead scientist Dr Joseph Banks, from the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute, who is leading the project ‘Winds of change’, He said that global shipping must be quickly decarbonised.

“Wind-powered ships are obviously nothing new, but almost all of the large ships operating today are powered by fossil fuels, leaving a lasting mark on the environment. While new wind assist technologies are being developed, many are not market ready and their predicted fuel savings have not been independently verified at sea,” he explained, quoted by EurekaAlert.

As part of the two-year development program, scientists will test the impact of a 20 meter high retractable FastRig wing sail adapted on the commercial ship Pacific Grebe, a 105 meter British ship.

Dr Banks added: “This is a groundbreaking project because the technology can be retrofitted to existing vessels to quickly reduce emissions from existing ships and help create quieter, emission-free ships in the future that do not harm ocean environments. and improve air quality in ports, towns and cities.

“Our team of researchers investigate the complex interactions between wing sails and ship hydrodynamicswhich will allow accurate predictions of the ship’s performance to be compared to the Pacific Grebe demo ship as part of the project,” he added.