Wind for the main propulsion of cargo ships
The full-decarbonization efforts from the shipping industry deal almost exclusively with the new zero-emission fuels. But wind for main propulsion is a pre-GHG proven technology abandoned 100 years ago mainly because liquid fuel was easier, cheaper, faster and it became impossible to find the crew required to handle the sails.
As opposed to the future fuels, wind does not require any prior infrastructure, is abundantly available in most parts of the globe, and does not require trillions and decades for re-launching, but .. millions, and a few years.
Actually, wind in the only fast way to reach real zero-emission in shipping (see presentation May 2023).
PROPELWIND proposes to the shipping industry two configurations of cargo vessels using the wind for their main propulsion:
- Monohull for good harbor compatibility, convenient cargo handling and easy acceptance by the shipping industry;
- Trimaran for maximum speed, with fully segregated green fuel storage in the outer hulls
Our monohull is being developed for deployment on the short term and mainstream applications, and the trimaran for niche projects.
Both configurations take inspiration from the sail racing technology and are scalable, starting from 3,000 dwt for the first ships (launching early 2026), aiming a scaling up of the size to 6,000 dwt by 2030 and 20,000 dwt as target in 2040, following the same growth pattern as the wind turbines.
In addition, our designs are generic for a broad range of low-density cargo’s, allowing for a series production of the common “chassis” , a significant CAPEX reduction and a scaling up of the number of ships on the water, to the benefit of the planet.
Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast
Jim Carroll, futurist
PURPOSE
PROPELWIND is a concept development company working on economically viable zero-emission vessels using primarily wind for their main propulsion.
VISION
We want to get a significant impact on the global shipping emissions, vessels should be made available for different types of cargo and built in large series.
STRATEGY
Maximum use of wind through proven technology from ocean sail racing, applied to cargo ships. Integrate smart cargo handling to wind propulsion concept.
