NMRI develops new sail propulsion system

The NMRI (National Maritime Research Institute) in Japan has developed a radical new sail propulsion system for commercial ships. In recent tests based on route calculations for a bulker carriers equipped with the system, carbon-dioxide emission reductions of up to 17.4% have been achieved. This renewed interest in the concept has emerged following increasing concern about environmental problems such as the greenhouse effect.

Wind tunnel tests carried out as part of the research revealed that the maximum lift coefficient of the new system reached 2.15, which considerably exceeds the coefficient value of 1.8 attained in former projects of this kind. The system has also been designed whereby the sail booms double up as cranes for cargo handling.

Apart from the sail units, the NMRI has developed an associated advanced weather routing system that takes into account both weather and sea conditions in order to determine the shortest and most energy-efficient route crossing