Experimental wind-powered cargo ship docks in Southampton for sea trials

Scientists have begun testing a new wing-sail that can be fitted to ships of the future to power them across the oceans using the wind.

They say the design could make large vessels less environmentally damaging by cutting carbon emissions by up to a third.

The technology has been retrofitted to the unladen 5,000-tonne cargo carrier the Pacific Grebe, which sailed into the Solent this week.

Scientists from the University of Southampton are coordinating the controlled sea trials to assess the ship’s performance across different conditions in UK waters.

Dr Joseph Banks, from its Marine and Maritime Institute , said shipping emits millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, or three per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions.

He added: “Fitting twenty-first century autonomous sails to commercial ships could immediately reduce energy demands and fuel consumption, lower costs, and, importantly, cut CO2 emissions.

“This technology might be the key component of the challenging transition to zero-carbon shipping.

“By validating our performance prediction tools against real-world sea trial data, we can accurately predict how much fuel this technology could save on bigger vessels and across longer journeys.”

The Department for Transport predicts that up to 40,000 ships could be suitable for wind power.

These are mainly tankers and bulkers, which are ships often hidden from public view but critical to moving metals, grains and building materials.

The 20-metre FastRig test sail aboard the Pacific Grebe, which can be retracted, was developed by Smart Green Shipping .

Funding was provided by the UK Government as part of plans to transform Britain into a world-leader in clean maritime and green shipping.

CEO of Smart Green Shipping Di Gilpin said if all ships that could adopt wind do so, the world could curb one-third of shipping’s total global emissions.

She added: “We are facing a climate and nature emergency that requires innovation to rapidly reduce greenhouse gases – this is the race of our lives.

“Emissions from global shipping are continuing to rise in the face of this emergency.

"We need alternative fuels to support global shipping’s transition to zero-emissions, but quality, energy density, availability and cost of these fuels is unknown. There is a simple solution – and that's wind."

Scientists at the University of Southampton have for decades worked on maritime innovations used on ships and yachts worldwide, including at its 138m towing tank.

It is now training the next generation of experts who will tackle the growing global carbon footprint of shipping through its degrees in Maritime Engineering.

Maritime expert Martyn Prince from the University-based Wolfson Unit ran computer simulations and experiments on the wing-sail at its towing tank.

He said accurately predicting fuel savings from wind is essential for giving ship owners confidence in investing in the technology.

Dr Prince added: “There are wind-assist technologies in development but few have had their predicted fuel savings independently verified at sea.

“Wind power harnessed using well-engineered equipment and backed by data provided by these predictive tools offers one of the most effective ways for the sector to reduce emissions.”

See more about the wing-sail at smartgreenshipping.com .

Or read about the University of Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute at southampton.ac.uk/smmi .