Designing a new sailing era
People have been sailing for thousands of years. The introduction of diesel engines meant faster crossings – at the expense of the environment. The Oceanbird concept could reduce emissions by 90% compared conventional vessels, which shows that the maritime industry can bring about major change and that zero-emission shipping is possible. The first vessel of the Oceanbird concept will be sailing in 2025.
Supported by government agency
The main partners in the development project is Wallenius Marine, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and SSPA. It is supported by the Swedish Transport Administration, which has allocated SEK 32 million for the three-year development project during 2019-2022. It is an efficient cluster collaboration that draws together experts from the public and private sectors and academia. Working together, we enable sustainable growth. You can follow the whole process in our blog.
- Wallenius Marine is the project coordinator, owns the concept and is also contributing design and logistics expertise.
- KTH addresses the challenges within areas such as aerodynamics, sailing mechanics and performance analysis.
- SSPA is contributing with expertise within the development and validation of new testing methods, aerodynamic and hydrodynamic simulation methods and risk simulation.
In September 2020, the collaboration presented the Oceanbird concept. Learn more at TheOceanbird.com
Next step: Realisation
We are now in the realisation phase. In June 2021, Alfa Laval and Wallenius announced that we will enter into a new 50/50 joint venture called AlfaWall Oceanbird. After approval from authorities, the company will develop and provide technology for fully wind-powered vessel propulsion.
Alfa Laval and Wallenius are familiar partners in developing ground-breaking technology. The companies have collaborated before on PureBallast, which is one of today’s leading solutions for chemical-free ballast water treatment.
“We cannot wait until the end of the century to phase out fossil fuels,” says Per Tunell, future CEO of AlfaWall Oceanbird, currently COO of Wallenius Marine. “We must create realistic alternatives, including the infrastructure for delivering and supporting them. Wallenius is committed to wind propulsion, and we know from the experience with PureBallast that Alfa Laval can help us make it a global reality.”
