Over a three year period, Carisbrooke Shipping has been collaborating with GT Wings to develop, install, and certify a prototype wind propulsion system.
In early 2024, the project secured £3.7m in funding from Innovate UK, setting an ambitious 12-month timeline for completion, with the project due to conclude on 1 April 2025.
Carisbrooke reports that it has been able to instal the AirWing prototype ahead of schedule, with all project milestones met. Sea trials are now underway, with class society trials, along with certification, having already been conducted.
According to Carisbrooke, the project presented numerous challenges, from ensuring compliance with IMO and local regulations to working within a restricted deck footprint amid spaces carrying dangerous goods. The partners had limited maritime experience, making the final installation phase particularly complex. At its peak, the shipyard hosted 27 personnel assembling and installing the AirWing.
Project Achievements have been summarised thus:
- Structural modifications: 9.6t of steel replaced below deck.
- Pedestal installation: 8.7t of steel added to the deck.
- Electrical work: Over 7.5 km of electrical cabling installed.
- Stability tests: Removal and re-installation of all equipment, stores, and spares.
The AirWing is now fully in place on an operational vessel, said to mark a major achievement for the team. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) projections suggest that Vectis Progress could achieve an 8.3% reduction in fuel consumption based on IMO-standard wind distribution. Given the prevailing wind conditions on the vessel’s Canada-Europe route, even greater efficiency gains are expected. The AirWing is designed to operate in winds up to 45 knots (Beaufort Force 9) and withstand speeds of 100 knots.
Sea trials are continuing, focusing on automation and performance optimisation. Initial reports indicate a promising speed increase even under light winds.
Image: AirWing on ‘Vectis Progress’ (source: GT Wings)
