Rigid sails ready for commercialisation
Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has announced the commercialisation of its ‘Rigid Sail’, an energy-saving device that it has developed in collaboration with Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding and Akishima Laboratories.
The ‘Rigid Sail’, which maintains its wing shape in the wind, acts as an auxiliary propulsion system, harnessing offshore wind to reduce energy consumption. It can be installed on existing vessels with minimal modifications, with plans for a retractable version to be implemented by 2026 and commercialised by 2027.
The project involves Tsuneishi designing and manufacturing the sail, Mitsui E&S developing the control system, and Akishima Laboratories evaluating performance using fluid analysis. The partners aim to contribute to greenhouse gas reductions and enhanced hull performance. (pb)