World News
Oceanbird Wing Sail Wins DNV Approval
The first wing sail design from Swedish technology firm Oceanbird has been given preliminary approval by classification society DNV.
DNV has awarded the Wing 560 design with its approval in principle, Oceanbird said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.
"It is one of the first stiff wing sails that will tilt in hard winds as a safety feature, that gets an Approval in Principle," Niclas Dahl, managing director at Oceanbird, said in the statement.
"Therefore, it is reassuring that DNV supports our safety philosophy since we are now going from vision into realization. In just a few months, we will begin to assemble our first full-scale wing prototypes, which will be onboard a vessel in about one year from now."
Wind-assisted propulsion systems are gaining in popularity in the shipping industry as a means of cutting bunker consumption and GHG emissions. The systems are likely to become more widespread once shipping companies start to take on much more expensive alternative bunker fuels, making energy-saving systems more profitable.