‘Winds of Change’ brings FastRig test vessel to University of Southampton for spectacular reveal and knowledge sharing event

At-sea testing began earlier this month to validate the fuel saving predictions of fitting wing sails to commercial ships.

The test ship for this project, the MV Pacific Grebe, made a quick, dazzling appearance in Southampton last week.

The University of Southampton are key collaborators on the Winds of Change project, funded by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK, investigating the potential of wind power in decarbonising the UK and global maritime sector.

To showcase their research on wind-assisted shipping, the project hosted a knowledge sharing event and demonstration of the FastRig™ wing sail, developed by Smart Green Shipping , at the University of Southampton on Tuesday, 22 October 2024. The test vessel to which the wing sail had been fitted, the MV Pacific Grebe, took a break from its sea trials to make a stop in Southampton, pulling in at the Empress Dock alongside the National Oceanography Centre Southampton to allow more than 120 industry guests, collaborators, researchers, and public figures to see the FastRig™ in person in a spectacular unveiling ceremony.

The event included an information session, during which the audience heard from a panel of collaborators involved in all aspects of the project, from the design of the wing sail and its installation to the process of testing, standardisation, and certification of the technology.

There was a “blast of science” from Dr Joseph Banks (Associate Professor of Maritime Engineering and researcher with the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute ) on how the performance of this technology is being tested. Dr Banks leads the team of University of Southampton researchers that developed the software to predict the performance and potential fuel savings of vessels fitted with these retractable FastRig™ wing sails.

Di Gilpin, CEO and Founder of Smart Green Shipping, discussed the development of the wing sail concept and the market impact and potential of this technology for global reductions in carbon emissions.

An interactive showcase allowed guests to engage with collaborators on the project and follow the journey of the wing sail development through the years. After this, guests were ushered into the café overlooking the harbour for the big reveal.

Remarks from Professor Mark Spearing, Vice-President (Research & Enterprise) at the University of Southampton, Darren Paffey, Labour MP for Southampton Itchen, and others set the scene for when the blinds were lifted and the Pacific Grebe was revealed in the dock alongside. Accompanied by a light show and music to match the moment, the FastRig™ wing sail was raised and unfurled, revealing the dramatic colour-swatch design which included the names of all who have worked on the technology’s development.

The Pacific Grebe alongside the National Oceanography Centre during the reveal of the FastRig™ wing sail (left) and at sea during trials (right). (Photos of Winds of Change project between University of Southampton and Smart Green Shipping.)

The FastRig™ sail was tested on land in Scotland for 4-5 months prior to being fitted onto a vessel for sea trials. The sea trials serve to test the wing sail and validate the fuel saving predictions from the performance prediction tools developed by Dr Banks and his team. Prior to the sea trials, the numerical models for the predictive tool went through hydrodynamic validation, in the Boldrewood Towing tank , and will undergo aerodynamic validation, in the University of Southampton Wind tunnel , in the new year.

“We have already made our predictions for the sail, and the trials will see if our predictions are correct,” said Dr Banks. “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.”

This validation process is key to aiding further investment in such technology, and therefore progress towards net zero emissions in the shipping industry, as shipowners need to understand how much they will save in long-term fuel costs to know how this would offset the investment of fitting sails to their vessels.

The FastRig™ wing sail design has the advantage over other similar technologies in that they are lighter in weight and can be retrofitted with relative ease and speed to vessels in existing fleets. This retrofitting is crucial shared Tom Humphreys of Humphreys Yacht Design during the panel session. “Future fuels are important,” he said, “but so is working in the existing system and infrastructure to make shipping more energy and cost efficient.”

This was echoed by Di Gilpin (Smart Green Shipping) when outlining the business model behind the technology. “Wind is clean and cheap”, she said, “Once the technology is installed, the ship gets access to wind to power the ship, which reduces the need for whatever other fuel type is being used to drive the ship, ultimately cutting emissions.”

The knowledge gained from the validation of the performance prediction tools will feed into the development of standards for further testing of wind-assisted technologies. To get the best out of wind-assisted technology, ships will need to pick optimal routes that provide the best conditions for fuel saving. Predictive software and routing tools are crucial to this, and Dr Banks is feeding knowledge gained from this project into standardisation and regulations for future testing, including through his role serving on the International Towing Tank Conference’s Committee for Wind Powered and Wind Assisted Ships.

Find out more about the Winds of Change project at Smart Green Shipping .

Collaborators and funders of the Winds of Change project