Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s Orcelle Horizon project has reached a significant milestone with the completion at IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan, China of preparation for the retrofitting installation of a wing sail to the vessel ‘Tirranna’.
Prior to docking, extensive preparation and planning had taken place with the yard, finalising all design documentation (e.g. strength and fatigue analysis) with subcontractor Deltamarin, along with obtaining class approval from DNV. This work has been crucial to ensuring an optimised solution related to both the steel weight and cargo loss.
Having now completed dry-docking, the installation of the wind propulsion unit (WPU) is scheduled to take place in Europe during the first quarter of 2025.
Extensive structural modifications have been carried out to ensure the vessel has the necessary strength to accommodate the WPU. The yard carried out all necessary power and signal cabling work to ensure the necessary WPU-vessel interface and minimise the work in 2025. Additional work and modifications included an additional X-band radar installed aft, and the navigational lights arrangement updated to accommodate the new WPU. In addition, a vessel inclining test is being carried out to prepare all necessary stability documentation. Wallenius Marine, RISE, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, and Oceanbird are currently setting up a crew education programme to ensure the crew is prepared for operation of the new technology.
These modifications are part of Tirranna’s ordinary five-year docking process, aimed at preparing the vessel with the necessary reinforcements and installing the foundation for the WPU’s folding mechanism. The primary goal of the retrofit is to test and evaluate a full-sized WPU at sea on a real vessel, providing crucial data for the design and optimisation of future wing sails and vessels such as the Orcelle Wind project.
As the first vessel to undergo this bespoke retrofitting, Tirranna serves as a one-of-a-kind testbed for this potentially game-changing technology. With a length of 230m and a capacity of approximately 8000 cars, Tirranna is considered a perfect vessel to test the concept for the ro-ro segment. The insights gained from this installation will be instrumental in refining the design and performance of the WPU, potentially paving the way for the creation of Orcelle Wind, a new build optimised for wind as the main propulsion.
Image: Tirranna in dry dock (source: Wallenius Wilhelmsen)
