WIND-ASSISTED PROPULSION “During this latest phase, we managed to lower the wing on the horizon to enable the kite to deliver traction that would help propel the vessel“ Mathieu Reguerre, flying components project manager, Airseas The Seawing project has now validated flights for generating tractive power AIRSEAS SEAWING Founded in 2016, French company Airseas has been testing its supplementary propulsion Seawing kite or parafoil wing on vessels since 2021 and has recently passed a major technical milestone. Successful validation of traction flights on the Ville de Bordeaux ro-ro cargo ship have provided the first tons of traction that aim to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. This result shows that the Seawing system is working as planned. “Until now, we had validated the take-off, ascent, descent and landing phases of the wing,” says Mathieu Reguerre, Airseas’ flying components project manager. “During this latest phase, we managed to lower the wing on the horizon to enable the kite to deliver traction that would help propel the vessel.” Projected fuel savings calculated from the tons of traction measured on the Seawing system during the latest trials are as much as 16%. The 1,000m² sail surface harnesses wind power to ‘tow’ ships. The latest test helps to progress the Airseas Seawing project, which is still undergoing sea trials on real commercial voyages across the Atlantic Ocean on board the 5,291 DWT vessel operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, with support from Airbus, which charters the ship to transport aircraft components between Europe and the USA. The commercialized product will operate using an automated flight control system that makes constant adjustments to the Seawing’s position and trajectory according to a number of factors including ship speed, weather and wind conditions. Traction forces are multiplied as the kite flies figure-of-eight patterns 300m above the sea. With automated take-off and landing now fully operational and the validation of traction flights complete, the next phases of the Seawing project will focus on dynamic flights, gathering performance data and fine-tuning the automation system. Airseas has recently announced plans for a 2,400m² R&D center in Morocco for continued land and sea tests and development of the Seawing system. Further plans include the opening of a production facility in 2026, as the project accelerates toward full production levels. Airseas states that Seawing will minimize fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions on commercial ships by an average of 20%, and up to 40% on certain routes. 30 // January 2024 // ElectricHybridMarineTechnology.com