Oceanbird Completes Installation Of Wind Propulsion System On 230-Metre Car Carrier Tirranna

Oceanbird has completed the installation and successful sea trials of its Wing560 wind propulsion system on Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s 230-metre car carrier Tirranna.

The vessel has now entered normal commercial service with the wing sail installed. Over the coming months, Oceanbird will collect operational data to study how the system performs in real-world conditions.

The project is also the main demonstration under the EU-funded Orcelle Horizon programme, which aims to develop wind propulsion for deep-sea shipping.

The Wing560 was installed at Damen Shipyard in Rotterdam between June 21 and June 24.

After leaving the shipyard on June 24 with the 46-metre-high, 14-metre-wide tiltable rigid wing sail, Tirranna successfully completed both Harbour Acceptance Testing (HAT) and Sea Acceptance Testing (SAT), Oceanbird said.

The installation came after DNV approved the Wing560 design in early June, confirming that it met the required safety, regulatory and technical standards for installation on the vessel.

“This is a pivotal moment for us, and it is just the beginning,” Oceanbird Chief Executive Officer Amrit Bhullar said.

He said the company was proud of the work that went into developing the prototype and looked forward to seeing how it performs during commercial operations.

As Oceanbird’s first onboard prototype, the project marks the company’s move from development to real-world testing. It also represents one of the first demonstrations of wind-assisted propulsion on a car carrier.

Oceanbird said its specialists will sail aboard Tirranna in the coming months to monitor the system, collect performance data and evaluate how efficiently the wing works during normal voyages.

Lars Ekren, Senior Manager, Newbuildings and Conversions at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said the company has a long history of testing new technologies to improve the energy efficiency of its fleet, and that the wind-assisted propulsion project is part of those efforts.

He added that operating the system in commercial service would help the company assess how the technology performs in real-world conditions and how it could support its efforts to reduce emissions.

Maritime CleanTech said the installation is an important milestone for the Orcelle Horizon project.

Tore Boge, Head of EU Projects at Maritime CleanTech, said the project will provide valuable operational data, help shape future regulations and contribute to the development of industry standards for wind propulsion.

The data collected from Tirranna will also support the development of Orcelle Wind, a planned newbuild vessel that will use multiple wing sails.

The demonstration will test the wing’s performance, automation, safety procedures and dynamic weather routing during normal operations.

Alfa Laval, a partner in the project, said the successful installation and sea trials marked Oceanbird’s transition from concept to operational reality. Martijn Bergink, President of Alfa Laval’s Ocean Division, said the company was proud to be part of the project.

Wallenius Lines welcomed the installation of the first Oceanbird wing on a vessel operating within the Wallenius group. Chief Executive Erik Nøklebye said the company was pleased to see the milestone.

References: Oceanbird, Wallenius Wilhelmsen