Wind propulsion system provider Norsepower and climate tech startup Syroco have deployed wind propulsion with digital technologies on board Socatra’s tanker Alcyone.
AI-driven digital twin
Syroco’s digital solution combines weather and sea data with advanced naval architecture principles and IoT data collected from onboard systems to create a digital twin of each vessel. The virtual representation of the ship accounts for key characteristics such as hull design, windage, appendages, propulsion systems and the most accurate models of the Norsepower Rotor Sails. This digital twin enables vessel operators to optimize routes in real time, considering wind propulsion, waves, swell, currents, arrival times, safety constraints and cargo-specific parameters.
This deployment is intended to help the shipowner overcome operational complexities and maximize the benefits of wind propulsion. According to the partners, vessels with rotor sails require advanced calculations to optimize routes, balancing wind propulsion with other factors such as waves and currents. Their integration with AI-driven platforms reportedly provides ship operators with reliable, real-time insights into how to maximize efficiency, savings and sustainability.
Syroco’s performance evaluation technology has validated the effectiveness of Norsepower Rotor Sails, confirming fuel savings of up to 21% per voyage. By combining Norsepower’s wind propulsion systems with Syroco’s weather routing technology, these savings are amplified, with initial results revealing voyages where combining the technologies can as much as double the performance.
Optimizing decarbonization
Jarkko Väinämö, chief commercial officer at Norsepower, commented, “Our collaboration with Syroco is an important step forward in optimizing the potential of wind propulsion. By accurately validating the performance of Norsepower Rotor Sails and demonstrating how advanced AI can amplify their benefits, we are driving significant progress in sustainable shipping. Together, we are proving that cleaner, more efficient shipping is not only achievable, but measurable.”
Alex Caizergues, cofounder and CEO of Syroco, said, “By integrating Norsepower Rotor Sails with digital twin models, the Syroco platform helps the crew obtain the most optimized routing at any time, and essentially amplifies the effect of wind assistance. This collaboration showcases the great potential of combining innovative technologies to meet the maritime industry’s decarbonization goals.”
“Syroco also provides a precise evaluation of the contribution of wind propulsion to fuel savings and emissions reductions. The user-friendly interface not only enables vessel operators to make data-driven decisions but also to quantify the impact of these decisions,” he added.
In related news, shipping company Anthony Veder recently announced the installation of two VentoFoil sails on board the ethylene carrier Coral Patula. The sails, delivered by Econowind, mark the first installation of such a system on board a gas carrier. Click here to read the full story