Project description
Smooth sailing is on the horizon for huge cargo ships
Wind-powered ships have long been a thing of the past since the advent of electricity and powerful engines began enabling companies to move more goods faster around the world. Transitioning to greener shipping strategies is critical given the importance of marine cargo to global trade and the impact the huge volumes have on greenhouse gas emission. French SME CWS Morel has developed patented high-tech 'wing-sails' with exceptional aerodynamics and efficiency that promise to revolutionise the shipping sector. EU funding of the LEWIATH project will support preparations to take the technology to market for new ships or retrofit.
Objective
Maritime transport dominates global freight transportation with 58,500 vessels totaling covering 90% of global goods trade. Marine propulsion market is expected to grow at a CAGR worth 4.3% to reach $18 Billion by 2026. Climate change imperatives and rising environmental awareness force governments to tighten legislation and set pressure on shipyards and shipowners to develop greener alternatives. Therefore, market potential for wind propulsion technologies for shipping vessels is estimated to reach between 3,700 and 10,700 deployed systems between 2020 and 2030 for both retrofit and installation on newbuild vessels.
CWS is a family story which was incorporated in 2016 to revive commercial sailing. CWS relies on sail automation, mechanical processes miniaturization and IT technologies to fix disadvantages which led to disappearance of commercial sailing vessels one century ago. Our patented technology is inspired by aeronautics and combines (1) Reversible rigs, (2) Telescopic and free-rotating masts and (3) Wing-sail automation.
Our technology pays itself back in 4 years only at current bunker fuel price (≈ €570 / ton) and would generate a yearly €570,000 savings on fuel consumption per wing-sail. Global Sulphur Cap 2020, GHG emission reductions set by the International Maritime Organization and future eco-friendly dis/incentives measures will entice shipping industry using less polluting and more expansive fuels (Biodiesel, LNG, Fuel cell Hydrogen, Battery) and therefore, RoI associated with our wind-based technology will constantly increase over time. Moreover, 300 wing-sail systems are deployed on a scale of 100 vessels would reduce CO2 emission by 1 million tons a year.
SMEI Phase 1 aims at: carrying out aerodynamics studies, finalizing mechanical engineering of Prototype V3, extend geographical coverage of IPR, and carrying out a market study. We are already supported by leading shipowners worldwide to have our technology test in full scale by 2020.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind power
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaeronautical engineering
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfuel cells
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringnaval engineering
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
94100 SAINT-MAUR-DES-FOSSES
France
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.