Bureau Veritas has granted its approval to an innovative sailing propulsion system
BV has given Approval in Principle (AiP) to Chantiers de l’Atlantique for its Solid Sail propulsion system.
“The power of the wind, even if it is not always available, can make a significant contribution to GHG free ship propulsion and ship design,” said Laurent Leblanc, senior vice president technical & operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.
”We are pleased to deliver this AiP to Chantiers de l’Atlantique, bringing trust in wind propulsion systems and supporting the GHG emission reduction of shipping more generally.”
Energy efficient
Solid Sail is a 1,200 m² rigid sail made of composite panels assembled together, and was developed specifically for larger vessels.
The system overcomes the usual size limitations of standard fabric sails. Moreover, the rigidity of the sail panels induces less flapping and therefore increases the estimated life compared to a soft sail.
BV has been involved from the early stage of its development. It delivered the AiP in line with its Rule Note for WIND PROPULSION SYSTEMS (WPS) – NR 206 following an assessment of the Solid Sail’s design and system.
This AiP helps assure the industry that this new technology can be safely used and is ready for the next phase of its development and installation on-board.
Increasing the energy efficiency of cruise ships and lowering their impact on the environment are two of the main objectives of Ecorizon, Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s R&D pioneering 14-year old programme dedicated to ship energy and environmental efficiencies.
Frédéric Grizaud, senior vice president at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said: “The concept of Solid Sail is the first of its kind, and is the most advanced and innovative solution of sailing propulsion of the large ships market. The integration on-board a passenger ship of such an innovative solution is only possible thanks to the tremendous collaborative work done with Bureau Veritas on its new rules on Wind Assisted Propulsion.”
