Reducing a lot on a few

New built vessels from the Oceanbird concept

The first newbuilt vessel from the Oceanbird concept will be equipped with six Oceanbird Wings. It will have a capacity for approx. 7,000 cars but will also be capable of carrying breakbulk and rolling equipment. The vessel will be approx. 220 meter long, 40 meter wide and 70 meter heigh above water. The ambition is to commence sailing in late 2026 or early 2027.

Ship design by Wallenius Marine

Wallenius Marine developed the Oceanbird concept, which showed that it is possible to reduce emissions from vessels by up to 90 percent if all emissions-influencing factors are aligned. Wallenius Marine is now leading the ship design and new building project of the first vessels from the concept, in close collaboration with Oceanbird and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. A special designed hull that is designed especially for a wind propulsion system, will take the emission reduction to a whole new level.

Ground-breaking ship designs is an important part on delivering on their vision: Wallenius Marine – Leading the way towards truly sustainable shipping.

Orcelle Wind – the first vessel from the Oceanbird concept

Wallenius Wilhelmsen, market leader in roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipping and vehicle logistics, have announced the intention to order the first vessels from the Oceanbird concept, which they will call Orcelle Wind. Orcelle Wind is a crucial part of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s fleet decarbonization strategy. To support the building of Orcelle Wind, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and 10 project partners, among them Oceanbird, have secured a Horizon Europe funding totaling EUR 9m.

Answers to common questions

What is Oceanbird?

Oceanbird is a concept for wind-powered vessels that are able reduce emissions from the vessels by up to 90 %. That includes wing sails, special designed hull and speed/route recommendations.
The Oceanbird concept is a technically challenging project where the rigging and hull work together as a single unit to harness the wind in the most efficient way possible. It is a mix of aeronautic and shipbuilding technology. We can evaluate performance and safety using a combination of computer simulations and physical experiments.

The company is named after this revolutionary concept. AlfaWall Oceanbird will supply wing rigs for ocean-going ships, new buildings but also retro-fits. Depending on the ship type, size, speed, route etc the wing rigs will have the ability to generate the entire propulsion power for needed but it could also be used as a compliment to other propulsion systems.

What do you base 90% reduction on?

We have done, and are still doing, extensive simulations in the development project together with KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) and SSPA. The simulations shows that if an Oceanbird vessel has an average speed of 9-10 knots, we only need to use the engine 10 % of the time. Even if it will go a few knots faster, it will still have significantly reductions.
Read more in the blog post “Why we claim a 90% reduction of emissions”

What is the difference between wind assistance and wind propulsion?

In wind assistant solutions, the main energy force comes from an engine which is supported by wind. Wind propulsion means that the main force comes from wind, supported by an engine.

When will the first Oceanbird vessel sail?

Wallenius Wilhelmsen announced in February 2021, that they intend to order a vessel from the Oceanbird concept, which they will call Orcelle Wind.

Orcelle Wind will have six Oceanbird Wing 560. The vessel will have a capacity for approx. 7,000 cars, be approx. 220 meter long, 40 meter wide and 70 meter height above water. The ambition is to commence sailing in late 2026 or early 2027.

Read more in the blog post“Meet Orcelle Wind” and in our page about New built vessels.

Why will the first Oceanbird vessel be a car-carrier?

Modern cars with low or zero emission are important to reduce the amount of CO₂ emissions released into the atmosphere. The car industry is making giant leaps in reducing its environmental footprint, and of course they are also looking at every part of its supply chain.

Why do you need an engine onboard?

An engine is necessary to maneuver in and out of port, for safety reasons and for unfavorable weather. However, we will use the best engine available from an environmental perspective.

How does the wing sails works?

The Oceanbird wing sail consists of a main sail and a flap, optimizing the aerodynamics forces. To allow the vessel to pass under bridges and reduce the power in hard weather, the wing can be folded and tilted.

It is half the size but shows the same performance as previous design, allowing a smaller footprint: both environmental and on deck.

Read more in the blog post “Revealing the new wing design”

Why did Alfa Laval and Wallenius start the company AlfaWall Oceanbird together?

Wallenius developed the Oceanbird concept in the wPCC project together with KTH and SSPA. Entering the next phase, Wallenius needed a partner for developing the wing sail system and being able to provide them to the market.

Wallenius and Alfa Laval have worked together before in developing PureBallast and shares the same values around sustainability and pioneering spirit.

Why take such a drastic step as aiming to reduce 90% of the emissions?

We cannot wait until the end of the century to phase out fossil fuels. We must create realistic alternatives, including the infrastructure for delivering and supporting them. Today there is new urgency. We share an environmental momentum and the determination to find immediate, workable solutions.