The first wing sail from Oceanbird, Wing 560, has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the world’s leading classification society DNV.
“This is an important milestone for Oceanbird in our quest to cut emissions from shipping” says Niclas Dahl, Managing Director Oceanbird.
The discussions with DNV that led up to the AiP, started before there even was an Oceanbird concept. Even though Oceanbird was confident in the design, there were a few uncertainties.
“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. 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” says Niclas Dahl, Managing Director at Oceanbird.
No showstoppers found
An Approval in Principle is an independent assessment of a concept within an agreed framework, confirming that the design is feasible, and that no significant obstacles, so called showstoppers, exist to prevent the concept from being realized. DNV have looked into how the wing could handle extreme conditions such as heavy wind loads, snow and ice loads and green sea (waves on deck). They have also investigated redundancies in system functionalities (trimming, reefing, folding, etc.), control systems, the foundation and machinery and electrical component functionalities.
“We’re pleased to award Oceanbird the AiP for their wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS). Such systems hold promise in enhancing the efficiency of maritime operations, and partnerships like this play a significant role in moving the industry towards decarbonization,” remarked Hasso Hoffmeister, Senior Principal Engineer at DNV. “With our extensive knowledge in this domain, DNV is eager to collaborate and foster the advancement of these innovations.”
Safety first
Oceanbird have requested that the review should include documents beyond the minimum requirements to reduce uncertainties related to the concept.
“Safety is our first priority and therefore, we wanted DNV to do a comprehensive review of the design” says Mikael Razola, Technical Director at Oceanbird. “The good collaboration with DNV has been very important for us. We are confident in our design, and this strengthen us into going into the next steps which is a Type Approval and prototype assembly.”
