A Wind-Ready vessel is designed and built to meet classification and flag state requirements for Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems. These adjustments in an early design stage enables an effective wind propulsion system in the future.
Wind-Ready gives the ship owner:
⇒ Time to evaluate different options
⇒ Less off-hire if you decide to install wind propulsion
⇒ Less complexity in guarantees at yard
⇒ Flexibility of deciding place and time of wing installation
⇒ Simpler and low-priced solution compared to a later retrofit
⇒ An increased future value of the vessel
The vessel is delivered without the wind propulsion system, with the option of installing the system at a later stage. According to American Bureau of Shipping, the term “Wind-Ready” means that the hull is built for supporting the wind propulsion system and the vessel is meeting stability requirement with a Wind Propulsion Unit.
If you include an expert on wind propulsion already in the ship design phase, you will get a Wind-Ready vessel at a much lower cost than if you want to do a retrofit on a conventional vessel.
The special design requirements that will get implemented in the design are:
"Personally, I don´t understand why anyone orders a vessel without option of future wind propulsion - a small investment to be future proof"
Niclas Dahl, Managing Director, Oceanbird
There are many reasons why wind propulsion has made a come-back in shipping, and why it is here to stay.
Primary Wind-Powered vessels use the wind as main propulsion, and have an engine for support. A vessel special built for wind propulsion with a full set of Oceanbird wing sails, has the potential to cut 50-90% of all emissions.
Wind-Assisted vessels are equipped with 1-3 wing sails to complement the main engine. The generated thrust from the wing sails allows for power reduction on the propulsion system, contributing to fuel savings and emission reductions.