Høglund joins concept development of wind/LNG-run vessels

Norway’s marine technology provider Høglund Marine Solutions has acquired a majority stake in Vindskip AS – a company developing a wind/LNG-powered vessel concept.

The two-third-stake ownership has placed Høglund’s CEO Børge Nogva as Vindskip’s chairman. The companies didn’t disclose financial details of the deal.

The concept under development is based on a car carrier vessel that will run on wind and gas power to achieve the lowest possible emissions in its market segment. Vindskip estimates the design will emit 63% less CO2 and 96% less nitrogen oxides than currently available vessels.

The unique design uses the shape of the hull to act like a sail, harnessing the wind to generate traction and provide auxiliary propulsion. It also reduces aerodynamic drag by up to 75% compared to a traditional vessel design.

A weather routing module will calculate and recommend the best route for the vessel in terms of wind conditions, optimizing for fuel economy while meeting its estimated time of arrival.

The concept also has the vessel powered by a flexible hybrid electric-LNG propulsion system, which could use biogas to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Norwegian patented Vindskip concept is seen as one of the boldest steps in vessel design in a generation, but also poses significant engineering challenge.

“Wind-assisted propulsion has great potential – but it needs careful integration of hardware and software to realize,” commented Nogva.

As pressure on decarbonization increases, the car-carrying sector will need to reflect the car manufacturers’ growing focus on environmental sustainability.

“As an industry, we need to start turning emissions-reducing ideas into reality, and effective collaboration will be critical. I’m thrilled that Høglund is bringing their expertise to the project, which is setting a precedent of environmentally sound vessel design in the car-carrying sector and beyond,” added Vindskip’s manager Terje Lade.

Source: Kallanish Energy

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