Abstract
Oil consumption is a challenge for the international shipping industry, both as an economic burden –often over half of operating costs- and as a source of GHG emissions and pollutants. Many recent projects aim to replace part of this fuel, through the use of gaseous or other alternative fuels or even solar panels. An ancient technology is also regaining more attention: the mechanical use of wind thrust in WASP (Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion), bringing the prospect of adopting Renewable Energy in a sector dominated by oil products
The paper reviews the technical innovations that enable wind propulsion again as a serious alternative to oil. These consist of automation of sails or other technologies to convert wind force to propulsion, but also routing systems which now allow optimization of the operation of transport lines and generally automation and information systems. Several systems are now operational but their economics have not been demonstrated yet.
The paper discusses hypothesis of possible savings and drawbacks of options to compare hybrid sailing solutions with other alternatives parameters of freight transport.. For example, the case of a calculated economic balance of a medium size ship (3 000 tons) transporting bulk freight, could bring fuel savings between 15% and 35% in well-chosen routes.
Then elements of a roadmap are developed, in order to make such developments possible. This comprises both evolutionary developments from existing systems and commercial practice, but also some possible innovations allowing more routes or freight types to be transported with sails in the future, and thus be proposed beyond niche markets such as “zero carbon” commodities, or the service of remote islands and shores not connected with major shipping routes.
The paper relies on work in progress in the course of the S@IL project. S@IL (Sustainable Approaches and Innovative Liaisons) is a European INTERREG program linking research teams, harbours, NGOs and freight professionals across the North Sea Region, in particular from The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Sweden and Denmark. It will end by mid-2015. It is led by the Fryslan Province (NL). The authors in the E&E Consultant team (Cassel, France) are involved in economic evaluation in the project.
