The ‘winds of change’ project is a partnership between Smart Green Shipping (SGS), a Dumfries-based systems design and engineering company, and the University of Southampton.
Working with Lloyds Register, Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) and several UK-based specialist sub-contractors, the project will retrofit the NTS vessel ‘Pacific Grebe’ with FastRig, a single 20-metre automated and retractable rigid wing sail, developed by SGS.
Wind power innovation
FastRig harnesses wind power to reduce a vessel’s fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs. Its innovative design enables it to be easily retrofitted to existing commercial vessels with available deck space.
CEO of SGS, Diane Gilpin, explained:
Wind-assist technology is the most promising near-term solution to reducing shipping emissions. It can be deployed more quickly and will reduce the consumption of more expensive alternative fuels such as methanol or hydrogen, making zero-emission ships more economic.
We’re currently the only all-British wind-assist company in the market. This project gives us a great opportunity to showcase the UK’s capacity and capabilities in this field.
About the funding
The ‘winds of change’ project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition round three (CMDC3). CMDC3 has allocated £60 million to 19 projects from across the UK to deliver real world demonstration projects in clean maritime solutions between April 2023 to March 2025.
CMDC is funded by the Department for Transport as part of the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions programme and is being delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
Sea trials
A 3D render of the SGS Alliance FastRig.
Credit: SGS Alliance
Testing FastRig on a commercial vessel will provide real-life data on potential fuel savings and emissions reductions. It will also increase the team’s understanding of how wind propulsion can work alongside motor-driven propellers.
Using the ‘Pacific Grebe’, a specialist nuclear material carrier with extremely high safety standards, will also help overcome market barriers by increasing shipowners’ confidence in wind-assist technology.
Diane added:
We are liaising closely with NTS and their partners on the installation of the FastRig to minimise disruption. Then we’ll be running sea trials, visiting ports around the UK to demonstrate the technology in action to the various stakeholders who are supporting delivery of this project and to interested international shipowners keen to learn how our lightweight, autonomous wing sails integrate seamlessly into the ship’s operations.
Winning the funding was incredible and has helped us create an unbelievable economic momentum. I’m really proud of the work that we’re doing, and I’m delighted to be able to follow through on what I knew we could achieve in this country. I just know we’ve got the talent, the capacity, and the innovation in the UK, and I’m thrilled to be able to showcase what we can do.
‘Winds of change’ will help us meet our net-zero targets and stimulate a green shipbuilding revolution. This project is good for business and good for our climate.
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